US President Donald Trump has signed a presidential memorandum authorising the deployment of troops to Memphis as part of a sweeping federal initiative aimed at reducing crime in the city. The decision, announced from the Oval Office with Tennessee Governor Bill Lee by his side, represents another controversial test of the limits of presidential power by introducing military involvement in domestic law enforcement. According to Trump, the troops will join a newly formed special task force that will bring together personnel from multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the US Marshals Service.
Trump framed the move as a replication of what he described as successful efforts in Washington, D.C., where a combination of National Guard deployments and federal oversight of the police had, in his view, helped stabilise crime. “This task force will be a replica of our extraordinarily successful efforts here,” the president said, promising that Memphis would now benefit from a “big force” to “stamp out crime.”
The memorandum itself, however, offered few specifics regarding the timeline for troop deployment or the precise scope of law enforcement activities they would undertake. Governor Lee’s office confirmed that planning was underway and would involve coordination between federal, state, and local authorities. The order also opened the possibility of assistance from neighbouring states, including Mississippi and Arkansas, as well as National Guard reinforcements from outside Tennessee.
Trump underscored that federal agencies had already ramped up their presence in Memphis in recent months, crediting the FBI with contributing to reductions in crime. However, his remarks contrasted sharply with data from the Memphis Police Department, which recently reported that crime across all major categories had dropped significantly in 2025, reaching a 25-year low overall, with homicides at their lowest in six years. Despite this, Trump pointed to Memphis’s persistent gun violence issues and its record-setting homicide toll in 2023 as evidence of the need for tougher federal action.
Governor Lee welcomed the deployment, saying he was “tired of crime holding the great city of Memphis back.” He was joined in the Oval Office by Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, who also backed the president’s move. In contrast, Memphis Mayor Paul Young expressed strong opposition, stressing that he had not requested federal or military involvement. Young warned that such measures were not the right way to address crime and suggested that, if unavoidable, the Guard’s role should be limited to non-policing functions such as traffic management, monitoring surveillance cameras, or civic improvement projects.
The decision has sparked political tension in Memphis and beyond. Local Democrats have criticised the move, with some, like Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer, suggesting that legal avenues might be pursued to block the deployment. The dispute echoes broader national debates, as speculation grows that other cities, including Chicago, could be targeted next for federal intervention. Trump himself hinted at such plans, noting that “Chicago is probably next” and asserting that his administration would act regardless of whether state and city officials cooperated.
The president even broadened his scope, naming New Orleans, Baltimore, and St. Louis as possible future candidates for troop deployments, though he gave no details on timelines or strategies. He emphasised that while cooperation from local authorities was preferable, it was “not going to matter” if governors or mayors resisted, since the administration intended to proceed regardless.
This latest action places Memphis at the centre of a national debate about the extent of presidential authority to use military force domestically, pitting concerns over federal overreach against promises of heightened security in cities struggling with crime. It also raises the prospect of escalating confrontations between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders in major urban centres, many of whom have vowed to resist federal intervention.
