President Donald Trump has said he will send the National Guard to Memphis to address crime, labeling the city “deeply troubled.” He claimed that both Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee support the deployment. The declaration comes amid a national push by the Trump administration to use military-adjacent force in cities with rising crime metrics, though many of those cities are governed by Democrats.

Why Memphis Was Chosen

Trump, speaking on Fox & Friends, said Memphis shares similar challenges with Washington, D.C. and other cities that have been subjects of federal intervention. He argued that the city is “deeply troubled,” and that the National Guard or even military forces might be required.

Memphis is one of the U.S. cities with a notably high violent crime rate and faces poverty rates about twice the national average.

Coordination Between State and Federal Forces

According to reports, Governor Bill Lee and Mayor Paul Young have been involved in discussions and appear to support targeted enforcement and intervention measures. However, local officials are emphasizing that resources be focused not just on militarized deployments but on prevention, community support, patrol augmentations, and investigative capacity.

Legal and Political Ramifications

Legal experts and critics are warning about potential conflicts with laws restricting the domestic use of the military. The Posse Comitatus Act limits active-duty military involvement in civilian law enforcement; National Guard deployments under state control or hybrid arrangements (Title 32 status) may avoid some restrictions, but still carry legal and constitutional risks.

Recent court rulings have blocked deployment of federal troops or Guard units in similar cases. For instance, a judge in California ruled that deployments in Los Angeles were likely violating Posse Comitatus. Washington, D.C. has also seen lawsuits against what local officials call “military occupations.”

Crime Trends and Broader Strategy

While Trump emphasizes rising crime as justification, data suggests violent crime nationally has declined in many places, including Washington, D.C., where it is reported to be at a 30-year low.

In Memphis, exact recent trends show mixed results: some reductions in homicides but continuing challenges with violent crime more generally. The administration frames the deployment as part of a larger crackdown, with potential future deployments in other cities under scrutiny.