Overview

• Retired National Guard generals warn the city deployments politicize the force, damage morale and recruiting, and risk dangerous confrontations.
• The administration keeps Guard operations active in Washington and has ordered a Memphis Safe Task Force, alongside a directive to create rapid‑reaction units for civil disturbances.
• A federal judge ruled the Los Angeles deployment unlawful under Posse Comitatus, the administration is appealing, and several Democratic governors have vowed to refuse cooperation.
• Local indicators undercut the stated emergency, with Houston reporting year‑over‑year declines in violent crime and researchers saying military policing is ineffective or counterproductive.
• Polling shows many Americans accept Guard assistance in large cities even as experts cite high costs and logistical strains, with estimates near $1 million per day for major operations.