National Guard troops are set to begin patrolling Memphis on Friday as the Trump administration takes decisive action to address rising crime in America’s cities. The move comes as part of a broader federal initiative to restore safety and stability to communities long plagued by violence and failed local leadership.
Memphis, a Democratic-led city, ranks among the top 10 nationwide for both violent crime and homicides. For many residents and business owners, federal assistance has been a long time coming.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) strongly backed the president’s decision to deploy troops, emphasizing the importance of creating a safer, more prosperous Memphis.
“We have to do this. We have to do it for the Memphis business community, small businesses and large employers. I talk to CEOs all the time who want to move to Memphis and who want to bring jobs and who want to bring opportunity,” Lee said during a late-September press conference.
“And we have to make it possible for those companies to feel good about making the moves here. And we have to do this for Memphis families. We have to do this for the people who live and work and worship and play and their children are on the streets,” he added.
Lee also noted, “no city in America that has access to the resources we’re about to get.”
After initially opposing the deployment, Memphis Mayor Paul Young (D) later acknowledged the benefits of the federal partnership, calling it an “opportunity” to build on the city’s momentum. Memphis police data show overall crime at a 25-year low, signaling that coordinated efforts between state and federal officials could further accelerate progress.
“It’s an opportunity,” Young said, framing the move as a way to build on the city’s recent gains.
The cooperation between Lee and Young stands in sharp contrast to the opposition seen in blue states like Illinois, Oregon, and California—where Democrat governors have sued the Trump administration to block similar deployments.
In Tennessee, however, leaders are welcoming the support—viewing it as a vital step toward safer streets
