Tennessee governor says more federal agents to join fight against crime in Memphis
Plan centers on the Memphis Safe Task Force with 13 federal agencies and state troopers; National Guard to be deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service and not armed or authorized to arrest unless requested
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Friday that additional federal agents will join a crime‑fighting push in Memphis, framing it as the next phase of a broader response that he described as a partnership among federal, state and local authorities. The plan centers on a new Memphis Safe Task Force and involves 13 federal agencies and state troopers. Tennessee National Guard troops will be deputized by the U.S. Marshals Service to support local officers but will not arrest or carry firearms unless local authorities request it.
Lee said the National Guard troops will come from Tennessee and that the total number remains in flux, with deployment to occur in phases and no fixed timetable for each agency. He said next week FBI, ATF and DEA agents will arrive to aid ground operations and that he would not declare a state of emergency.
Mayor Paul Young took a pragmatic approach, saying he did not ask for the National Guard and that Memphis would use whatever resources come in to benefit residents. He noted that crime rates have been falling but that there is still work to do to reach a level where people feel safe. The city’s website states guardsmen will be easily identifiable in standard uniforms and will not be wearing masks, and that armored tanks will not be used in the mission.
Trump announced on Fox News on Sept. 12 that he would send the National Guard to Memphis, and he signed an order establishing the task force on Sept. 15. The plan contrasts with the deployments to Los Angeles, where thousands of guardsmen and Marines were deployed to protect federal property during immigration operations; California later sued over the intervention. Trump has floated Chicago as a possible next target, saying the city is “probably next” after Memphis.
Officials emphasized this mission would be a coordinated surge of federal and state resources rather than a unilateral action, with the Memphis Police Department remaining the lead agency and resources deployed in phases to support local officers.