President Trump speaks at the Oval Office on September 15 before signing a memorandum to send troops from the National Guard to Memphis, tenn., As an American senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., (From left to right), American senator Bill Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., And the republican governor of Tennessee Bill Lee on.
Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images
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Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images
From Monday, an influx of federal agents will be deployed through Memphis as part of a broader thrust of what President Trump described as a repression against crime.
On Friday, at a press conference on Friday, the republican governor of Tennessee Bill Lee said that the staff of 13 US agencies would arrive in the city next week. This will include FBI agents, the Drug Encommon Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, tobacco, firearms and explosives. The operation will also include 300 soldiers from Tennessee Highway Patrol.
We still do not know exactly how many members of the National Guard will be deployed, but the governor said that the troops will be in support roles and not responsible for making arrests. He added that the goalkeeper will only be armed if requested by local police.
Lee said that the operation was to perform in phases during the “weeks and months of the next”. The governor said that “planning has been underway for months” on the introduction of federal resources to limit crime, calling it “generation opportunity”.
“The history of crime in Memphis is about to be a story of the past,” he added.
The mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, Democrat, said on Friday that he recognized that community members have many questions and strong feelings – both for and against – the next federal partnership.
“As head of the city, my goal is to make sure that, as resources are entering our community, we find ways to use them effectively and for the benefit of residents of our big city,” he said.
Young noted that Memphis had progressed in reducing crime, and in particular violent crimes, after a peak in 2023. The city is Already participating In several joint and federal working groups, notably with the FBI, American marshals and ice.
The city government launched a website To provide updates and information on the federal resources that will arrive.
Trump has previously describe Memphis as “suffering from huge levels of violent crimes that have overwhelmed the ability of his local government to respond effectively”. Earlier this month, he signed a presidential memorandum to establish a federal working group to combat crime in the city, characterizing it as a “reply” of what he did to Washington, DC
The Trump administration was accused of having unjustly targeting the cities led by Democrats. Federal troops have already been sent to Los Angeles and DC, both led by Democratic mayors, similar to Memphis. Trump also expressed interest in sending troops to Chicago, New Orleans and Saint-Louis.
