---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 U.S.C. § 205"
title: "50"
title_heading: "War and National Defense"
number: "205"
heading: "Suspension of commercial intercourse with State in insurrection"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/205"
units:
  - "Chapter 13 — Insurrection"
---

# §205. Suspension of commercial intercourse with State in insurrection


Whenever the President, in pursuance of the provisions of this chapter, has called forth the militia to suppress combinations against the laws of the [United States](/usc/50/47f.md?p=d), and to cause the laws to be duly executed, and the insurgents shall have failed to disperse by the time directed by the President, and when the insurgents claim to act under the authority of any [State](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) or [States](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1), and such claim is not disclaimed or repudiated by the [persons](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) exercising the [functions](/usc/50/3075.md?p=a) of government in such [State](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) or [States](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1), or in the part or parts thereof in which such combination exists, and such insurrection is not suppressed by such [State](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) or [States](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1), or whenever the inhabitants of any [State](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) or part thereof are at any time found by the President to be in insurrection against the [United States](/usc/50/47f.md?p=d), the President may, by proclamation, declare that the inhabitants of such [State](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1), or of any section or part thereof where such insurrection exists, are in a [state](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) of insurrection against the [United States](/usc/50/47f.md?p=d); and thereupon all commercial intercourse by and between the same and the citizens thereof and the citizens of the rest of the [United States](/usc/50/47f.md?p=d) shall cease and be unlawful so long as such condition of hostility shall continue; and all goods and chattels, wares and merchandise, coming from such [State](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) or section into the other parts of the [United States](/usc/50/47f.md?p=d), or proceeding from other parts of the [United States](/usc/50/47f.md?p=d) to such [State](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) or section, by land or water, shall, together with the vessel or vehicle conveying the same, or conveying [persons](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) to or from such [State](/usc/50/1841.md?p=1) or section, be forfeited to the [United States](/usc/50/47f.md?p=d).


## Source credit

(R.S. § 5301.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

R.S. § 5301 derived from acts July 13, 1861, ch. 3, § 5, 12 Stat. 257; July 31, 1861, ch. 32, 12 Stat. 284.