President Trump Orders National Guard Deployment to Memphis to Address Crime

President Donald Trump has signed an order to deploy the National Guard to Memphis, Tennessee, as part of a federal initiative to combat crime.

In an Oval Office meeting with Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Trump described the initiative as a "replica" of previous efforts in Washington, D.C., where National Guard troops were deployed and the city's police force was federalized.

The task force in Memphis will include personnel from various federal agencies, such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Governor Lee expressed support for the deployment, stating he was "tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back."

However, Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, voiced opposition, saying, "I did not ask for the National Guard, and I don't think it's the way to drive down crime."

The White House cited Memphis's crime rate as justification for the deployment, noting it was higher than the national average.

Memphis police recently reported decreases across every major crime category in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in previous years, with overall crime at a 25-year low and murder at a six-year low.

Despite these statistics, the city has faced persistent gun violence, recording over 390 homicides in 2023.

Trump indicated that similar deployments might occur in other cities, stating, "We're going to be doing Chicago probably next," and mentioning St. Louis and Baltimore as potential targets.

The memorandum did not specify the timeline for the deployment or the exact nature of the law enforcement efforts in Memphis.