The "Fox & Friends" co-hosts on Friday pressed Deputy White House Press Secretary Hogan Gidley on reports that the Trump administration plans to use the Insurrection Act to combat illegal immigration.

Trump intends to use the “tremendous powers” of the law to remove illegal immigrants from the country, the Daily Caller reported, citing multiple senior administration officials.

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The Insurrection Act goes back to 1807, and allows a president to deploy troops anywhere in the U.S. to execute federal law -- generally, to put down lawlessness and insurrection. This power is limited, though it was used as justification for the Civil War.

It was last invoked by former President George H.W. Bush during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Before that, it was used in 1957 by former President Dwight D. Eisenhower to desegregate schools in the south.

"Is the administration considering the Insurrection Act?" Steve Doocy asked Gidley.

Gidley began answering that Trump will do everything in his power to protect the nation when Doocy interjected with, "Is that a yes or a no?"

"He's going to do everything within his legal authority to protect the American people and the families of this country," Gidley said.

"That's a yes," Doocy and Brian Kilmeade agreed.

Gidley did not commit one way or the other, but said there are many "tools" at the president's disposal.

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"What's so sad is that we're getting to this point in the first place," Gidley said. "We can fix this now with Congress, we can fix this in a lasting way that protects the American people. We've got to do it."

Fox News' Steve Kurtz contributed to this report.