Trump on sending National Guard into US cities: Heading to Memphis and additional locations

Trump: heading to Memphis and additional locations

President Donald Trump has announced a federal task force deployment to Memphis, Tennessee, marking the latest expansion of his administration's use of military force to combat crime in American cities. The Memphis Safe Task Force, established through a presidential memorandum, will include the National Guard, FBI, DEA, ATF, ICE, HSI, and U.S. Marshals, working in conjunction with Tennessee National Guard troops .

The deployment comes despite Memphis Police Department reporting significant progress in fighting crime. In the first eight months of 2025, Memphis saw a 25-year low in overall crime, with robbery, burglary, and larceny also reaching 25-year lows . However, Memphis had the highest rate of violent crime per capita in 2024, including high rates of murder, robbery, and aggravated assault .

Tennessee officials, including Republican Gov. Bill Lee, have welcomed the federal intervention, stating that the deployment represents the next phase of their multi-phased strategy to combat crime in Memphis . Republican Tennessee Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty praised the deployment, while Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, expressed reservations about the National Guard deployment .

The Memphis deployment follows Trump's controversial use of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., and his indication that Chicago and St. Louis could be next on his list for federal intervention . The administration's targeting of cities led by Democratic mayors has drawn criticism from civil rights groups and legal challenges .

In addition to the Memphis deployment, Trump has also taken steps to overhaul the US legal migration system. On Friday, he announced a $100,000 application fee for the H-1B visa program and unveiled a "Trump Gold Card" visa program, where for the price of $1 million, individuals could get US residency .

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been aggressively countering Venezuela's state-backed drug trafficking. In the latest strike, the US military killed three suspected drug traffickers affiliated with a terror organization, as part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt narcotrafficking routes .