Overview

• The presidential memorandum creates a "Memphis Safe Task Force" combining National Guard units with agents from the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service.
• Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee endorsed the move and was present at the signing, while Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he did not request the Guard and opposes a military presence.
• The order released no specifics on timing, troop numbers, duties or command structure; Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Fox News the team plans to go to Memphis next week.
• The White House cites 2024 data showing Memphis with the highest violent and property crime rates, whereas Memphis police report declines across major categories in 2025 and an overall 25-year low.
• The deployment arrives as courts test the limits of federal authority after a judge found a prior Los Angeles troop use unlawful, and Trump said Chicago is "probably next" with St. Louis and New Orleans also under consideration.