On Saturday, September 13, 2025, a swirl of controversy erupted in Louisiana and across the nation after reports surfaced of a Pentagon draft proposal that could see 1,000 Louisiana National Guard troops deployed to help police urban centers such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The idea, first reported by the Washington Post and subsequently echoed by Reuters, ignited immediate pushback from local officials and set off a debate about public safety, states’ rights, and the militarization of America’s cities.
At the heart of the furor is a leaked, undated memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The document, as described by the Washington Post, outlines a plan to mobilize 1,000 National Guard troops in Louisiana’s urban centers—if Governor Jeff Landry requests such support. The memo proposes that the troops would remain under the governor’s control, even as their mobilization would be funded with federal dollars. Yet Pentagon officials stressed that the document is a draft and “should not be interpreted as policy.”
“Just because the Pentagon’s working plans does not mean that that’s down to our level yet,” Lt. Col. Noel Collins, spokesperson for the Louisiana National Guard, told reporters. She emphasized that no orders had been received and that nothing was imminent. Governor Landry’s office, for its part, declined to comment on “leaked or pre-decisional documents.”
Despite the uncertainty, the proposal has already become a political flashpoint. Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.), who represents New Orleans, was quick to voice his opposition. In a statement released Saturday, Carter called the Pentagon’s draft “deeply troubling,” but underscored that “this is not an official order—it’s a draft proposal that even the Pentagon says should not be interpreted as policy.” He continued, “New Orleans is experiencing the lowest crime rates in decades. There is no ‘emergency’ that justifies militarizing our streets.”
Carter’s comments were not made in a vacuum. Recent crime statistics, as cited by Carter and corroborated by local officials, show that violent crime in New Orleans has been on the decline following a spike in the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the city is reportedly on track for the fewest murders since the early 1970s.
Instead of deploying the National Guard, Carter argued for a different approach. “If the President truly wants to help, he should invest in recruiting and training more police officers, strengthen our district attorney’s office, and revive proven community policing efforts,” he said. Carter added, “Our National Guard must remain ready for genuine emergencies, like hurricanes and natural disasters—not diverted into political experiments in law enforcement. Louisiana deserves resources, respect, and genuine partnership, not militarization.”
President Donald Trump, however, has signaled a different direction. In recent days, Trump has spoken openly about sending troops to Louisiana following similar deployments in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Last week, he mused, “We’re going to be going to maybe Louisiana,” and claimed that crime in New Orleans could be solved “in about two weeks.” In a Fox News interview on Friday, Trump asserted that Governor Landry “wants us to go in,” and pledged to “fix” New Orleans in a week and a half. Trump’s focus has shifted to Democratic-led cities in Republican-led states, with New Orleans and Memphis among those mentioned as potential targets for federal intervention.
Some local voices, however, are more receptive to the idea of federal assistance—though not necessarily in the form of military intervention. Shane Guidry, a New Orleans businessman and confidant of Governor Landry, told the Times-Picayune that “nothing is imminent” as far as he knew. He explained, “My understanding is they are getting prepared for governors that want help. And they are also getting prepared for cities that need help. Trump has been real clear on TV that he’s coming to other cities. We’ll have to see what that is.” Guidry also suggested that other Louisiana cities, not just New Orleans, could benefit from federal help, given the challenges of maintaining fully staffed police departments.
Guidry cautioned leaders who oppose outside assistance, saying, “I caution those leaders out there that are so against that help, where those who do accept the help will shine with the voters. I don’t care who you are: No one wants their daughter beat up, their mother-in-law carjacked.”
Elsewhere in the state, the response has been mixed but generally measured. Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy noted that his city’s efforts to reduce violent crime have paid off, with gun-related homicides down 60% since he took office. Yet Roy said he’s been in contact with state leaders about additional help from “every available partner and resource,” and welcomed more support. “With focus, those resources could make a real difference and are welcome,” he said, referencing Trump’s proposal. “We have Camp Beauregard next door. Our own community guardsmen. We are lucky and blessed.”
East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards also expressed openness to the idea of a National Guard presence, though he stressed that it was “premature for me to comment on this matter as I’ve yet to hear anything about sending troops to Louisiana.” He did note, “I will say that we are severely short of Law Enforcement Officers in Baton Rouge.”
Despite these acknowledgments of strained local resources, the prevailing sentiment among many Louisiana officials remains one of caution. State officials repeated Saturday that no decisions had been made and that the Pentagon’s draft plan had not reached the state level. The documents reportedly do not specify when troops would arrive, but indicate that any deployment would last until the end of September 2026—a timeline that has only added to anxieties about the scope and intent of such a mission.
As the debate continues, the core issue remains unresolved: How best to balance the need for public safety with respect for local governance and civil liberties? For now, the Pentagon’s draft is just that—a draft. But the conversation it has sparked is likely to reverberate far beyond Louisiana’s borders, raising fundamental questions about the role of the military in American life and the future of policing in the nation’s cities.
With city crime rates dropping and officials divided on the right path forward, Louisiana finds itself at a crossroads—one where the stakes are as much about democracy and trust as they are about statistics and security.
