United States President Donald Trump has announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis, Tennessee, to combat crime in the city.
Trump stated that Memphis is “deeply troubled” and that he intends to “fix that just like we did Washington,” referring to the recent deployment of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital.
According to Trump, the mayor and governor of Tennessee are supportive of the plan, although Memphis Mayor Paul Young has expressed reservations.
“We’re going to Memphis,” Trump said. “Memphis is deeply troubled. The mayor is happy… We’re going to fix that just like we did Washington.”
However, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris disputed Trump’s claim, stating, “Mr. President, no one here is ‘happy’… Not happy at all with occupation, armored vehicles, semi-automatic weapons, and military personnel in fatigues.”
Memphis has one of the highest violent crime rates in the US, with 24% of residents living in poverty, more than double the national average.
The city has been plagued by high crime rates for years, prompting the US Justice Department to send federal agents to help fight violent crime in 2020.
Despite this, Memphis police reported decreases across all major crime categories in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the same period in previous years.
Trump’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis is part of his broader strategy to address crime in American cities.
He has previously deployed troops to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and has threatened to send troops to Chicago and other Democratic-led cities.
Trump argues that crime is blighting American cities and that his administration’s policies are necessary to restore law and order.
However, local leaders and Democratic politicians have fiercely resisted Trump’s plans, arguing that they are unnecessary and potentially unconstitutional. “I think we’re on the brink of something that is going to change all our appreciation for freedoms,” Harris said.
“The way you can take away democratic liberties is to make sure people don’t have a way to protest, and the way to do that is to patrol the streets with military vehicles.”
The deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis raises constitutional concerns, particularly regarding the use of military personnel in domestic law enforcement.
Federal law generally prohibits the use of soldiers in civil law enforcement under normal circumstances. Trump did not clarify what legal statute he would use to justify the deployment of National Guard Troops ( soldiers) to Memphis.
Local leaders in Tennessee appear divided on the issue, with some Republicans supporting the deployment and Democrats expressing concerns.
Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor said the National Guard could provide “administrative and logistical support” to law enforcement, allowing local officers to focus on police work.
In contrast, Democratic Mayor Lee Harris criticized the plan, stating that it would be “anti-democratic and anti-American.”
The deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis is a contentious issue, with proponents arguing that it is necessary to address crime and opponents claiming that it is an overreach of executive power.
Another angle to this is that whole the presence of national guard may quell crime in the interim, as dissidents may decide to lay low given the presence of soldier, it remains to be seen whether or not they will not resort to violence in their absence.
This therefore suggests that holistic approach is required to combat crime and other forms of social vices rather trying to oppress citizens with federal forces.
As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the Trump administration’s plan will be received by the public and whether it will be successful in reducing crime in Memphis.