Memphis, Tennessee is at the center of a heated national debate after President Donald Trump announced on September 15, 2025, the deployment of the National Guard and a coalition of federal agencies to the city. The move, intended to address Memphis’s persistently high crime rate, has triggered a wave of responses from local residents, politicians, and advocacy groups—many of whom remain deeply divided over whether this unprecedented action will bring relief or harm to their community.
Trump’s announcement, made alongside Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, established the so-called Memphis Safe Task Force. According to the presidential memorandum, the task force is composed of National Guard troops—likely from other states—as well as the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Governor Lee praised the initiative, saying, “We’ve made significant investments to address crime throughout my seven years in office, and thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the Memphis Safe Task Force will ensure we have every resource at our disposal to create significant change.” Lee also authorized more than 100 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers to assist local law enforcement in Shelby County, aiming to “accelerate the positive momentum” of Operation Viper, an ongoing FBI mission that, according to Lee, has led to the arrest of hundreds of violent criminals since July.
Despite these assurances, the deployment has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters. Memphis Mayor Paul Young was quick to distance himself from the decision, stating on social media, “I want to be clear: I did not ask for the National Guard and I don’t think it is the way to drive down crime.” He pointed to a 23% drop in Part 1 crimes—which include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson, and human trafficking—from 2024 to 2025, arguing that the city is already making progress. Memphis Police statistics back up this claim, showing a 22% decrease in crime over the past year, attributed to new strategies and community efforts.
Some residents, like Angela Dowdy, see the federal intervention as a necessary evil. “I just feel like their presence may deter some. It's not going to do a whole lot, I don't think, but I mean, anything will help,” she told local media. Others, such as business owner Joe Morrow, are more skeptical. “We've got law enforcement here already. We've got state troopers that they've sent in. We have the FBI here. Different things. The National Guard is just another form of law enforcement,” Morrow said. He questioned the clarity of the mission’s orders, asking, “Am I going to be looked at… as a human being? Or am I something on the list of deployment that is a target or a threat? Which I'm not.”
Concerns about the impact on Memphis’s social life and economy also surfaced. Michael Kuntzman, a local bar manager, worried that “having a show of force like that will definitely affect nightlife, where people won't be out if there are bright lights and National Guard in camo everywhere.” He added, “I know, I'll be at the house if that's the case.”
The controversy has not been confined to the general public. Democratic Representative Jesse Chism, chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators, sent a letter to Governor Lee urging that the National Guard be placed under the direct leadership of Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis. “The National Guard should supplement trained law enforcement, not replace it,” Chism wrote, adding, “It is vital that these gains are not lost and that our city is not made to look or feel like a military state. Residents need to see that this deployment is about reinforcing their safety, not instilling fear.” He also called for continued investment in law enforcement resources, community programs, and economic opportunities.
Memphis City Council member Jerri Green, a Democratic candidate for governor, introduced a resolution with five colleagues urging Governor Lee to reverse his stance and stop the National Guard deployment. “Public safety comes from opportunity not occupation,” Green said. “Sending in troops is not a solution – it distracts from the real work of tackling poverty, strengthening families and creating opportunity.” The resolution, backed by local advocacy groups such as the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope (MICAH) and the Tennessee Immigration & Refugee Rights Coalition, is set for a vote on September 25.
National organizations have also weighed in. The League of Women Voters at the local, state, and national levels criticized the deployment, describing Memphis as the “latest target” of the Trump administration’s approach to urban crime, and the American Civil Liberties Union echoed concerns about potential militarization and the lack of consultation with local officials.
On the other side of the aisle, Shelby County’s Republican lawmakers have largely supported the troop deployment. Citing a 20-year low in police staffing, Republican Representative John Gillespie filed House Bill 1445 to create a fund for recruiting law enforcement officers to departments with significant vacancies. The Memphis Police Association confirmed the staffing shortage, and lawmakers are considering ways to bolster recruitment and retention.
For some, the deployment brings back memories of recent federal interventions elsewhere. Earlier in 2025, the Trump administration sent National Guard troops to Los Angeles and Washington, DC, to quell protests and address crime. According to a mid-September analysis by the Washington Post, over one-third of the 1,273 arrests in DC were conducted by federal officials, with a quarter related to firearms and one in seven for low-level offenses like public drinking or marijuana use—arrests that disproportionately affected young Black men. Notably, an appeals court found Trump’s deployment of the California National Guard to Los Angeles illegal, raising legal questions about the Memphis operation.
Memphis harm reduction advocates, such as Dr. Paige Lemen of 901 Harm Reduction, are especially worried about the potential impact on the city’s most vulnerable. “We know that this National Guard deployment is supposedly to ‘combat crime,’ which often means targeting unhoused people or other ‘undesirables,’ including people who use drugs,” Lemen told Filter. Her group has distributed a survival guide advising residents of their rights and warning about common pretexts for arrest, like public intoxication or loitering. The guide urges people to frame harm reduction supplies as public health tools and to remain calm and silent if stopped by law enforcement. “After witnessing the results and consequences of this military force in those cities, we’ve learned that this was NOT about ‘combating crime,’” the guide states. “Instead, the National Guard has targeted, harassed, and arrested unhoused community members, people with past criminal records & records of drug use in MASS numbers!”
As Memphis braces for the arrival of federal troops, the city stands at a crossroads—torn between urgent calls for public safety and equally urgent demands for civil rights, community investment, and local control.
