Trump orders National Guard troops to Memphis in latest military deployment

The city’s Democratic mayor, Paul Young, says the ‘decision has been made’ but helium does not deliberation it volition thrust down crime.

US President Donald Trump volition widen national instrumentality enforcement enactment to the metropolis of Memphis, Tennessee, successful a determination that volition see sending successful National Guard troops and mounting up a “Memphis State Task Force” to tackle crime, though constabulary accidental wide criminal offences are astatine a 25-year low.

Trump announced the determination successful an enforcement bid connected Monday to escaped Memphis of what helium called the “tremendous levels of convulsive transgression that person overwhelmed its section government’s quality to respond effectively”.

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The enforcement bid did not acceptable retired a timeline for erstwhile the Memphis task force, which volition besides see the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the US Marshals Service, volition beryllium deployed.

Trump described the task unit arsenic a “replica” of his crackdown connected Washington, DC, successful August, according to the Associated Press quality agency, which saw the US president deploy the National Guard connected the streets of the US capital.

Trump has pushed for a akin subject engagement successful policing successful Baltimore and Chicago, which, similar Memphis and Washington, DC, are Democratic strongholds.

Trump’s Memphis task unit has the backing of Tennessee’s Republican governor, Bill Lee, who joined Trump successful the White House for the announcement.

“I person been successful bureau for 7 years. I’m bushed of transgression holding the large metropolis of Memphis back,” Lee said during a signing ceremony.

In caller weeks, @POTUS has restored instrumentality & bid to DC.

Today, I was arrogant to basal with him arsenic helium signed an bid to bash the aforesaid for different American city: Memphis. In 2024, Memphis had the highest complaint of convulsive transgression per capita – astir 7 times the nationalist average.

City by… pic.twitter.com/mrwH4cvccZ

— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) September 16, 2025

Memphis’s Democratic mayor, Paul Young, said connected X that helium did not deliberation deploying the National Guard would thrust down crime, but “the determination has been made”.

“Yesterday morning, we learned that the Governor & President person decided to spot the National Guard & different resources successful Memphis, which they person the authorization to do. I privation to beryllium clear: I did not inquire for the National Guard and I don’t deliberation it is the mode to thrust down crime,” Young said connected X.

Yesterday morning, we learned that the Governor & President person decided to spot the National Guard & different resources successful Memphis, which they person the authorization to do.

I privation to beryllium clear: I did not inquire for the National Guard and I don’t deliberation it is the mode to thrust down crime. pic.twitter.com/gYO2LSEtC5

— Paul Young (@mayorpaulyoung) September 13, 2025

Memphis is known globally for its euphony manufacture and its historical ties to stone and roll, psyche and the blues. Last year, it reported the highest convulsive transgression complaint among US cities of 100,000 radical oregon more, according to 2024 FBI transgression data.

A reappraisal by Al Jazeera of FBI transgression statistic recovered the complaint of convulsive transgression – which includes murder, negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated battle – for Memphis was 2,501 per 100,000 radical successful 2024. The metropolis was followed by Oakland, California, astatine 1,925 per 100,000 and Detroit, Michigan, astatine 1,781 per 100,000 people.

Memphis police, however, accidental this fig does not overgarment a afloat representation of the city’s convulsive transgression concern amid “historic transgression reductions” successful the archetypal 8 months of 2025.

“Overall transgression is astatine a 25-year low, with robbery, burglary, and larceny besides reaching 25-year lows. Murder is astatine a six-year low, aggravated battle astatine a five-year low, and intersexual battle astatine a twenty-year low,” constabulary said past week.

Despite this decline, the metropolis reported 146 homicides truthful acold successful 2025 and 4,308 cases of aggravated assault.