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Trump Orders National Guard and Federal Agencies to Memphis

Local leaders in Memphis say the deployment misreads current crime trends.

Overview

  • The president signed a decree on September 15 authorizing National Guard, FBI and other federal agency deployments to the city to "restore law and order," citing FBI statistics.
  • The White House framed the effort as a replica of operations in Washington and Los Angeles, and Trump said Chicago could be next.
  • Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he is not satisfied with the move, while county and city officials warned of militarization and called for renewed funding for violence-prevention programs.
  • Days before the announcement, Memphis police reported sharp year-to-date declines across major crime categories, with overall crime at a 25-year low and homicides at a six-year low.
  • A federal judge ruled the June National Guard deployment to Los Angeles illegal, and the administration says it will appeal.