Pentagon plans troops for Louisiana: Report

WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump's administration has drafted a proposal to deploy 1,000 Louisiana National Guard troops to conduct law enforcement operations in the state's urban centers, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing Pentagon planning documents it obtained.

Trump has made crime a major focus of his administration, even as violent crime rates have fallen in many US cities. The crackdown has fueled legal concerns and spurred protests.

Democratic leaders have said the massive deployments are more a show of power by Trump, rather than a serious effort to fight crime.

Trump argues that crime is blighting US cities like Washington, and in recent weeks placed the US capital city's police department under direct federal control.

More than a dozen residents of Shreveport, Louisiana, told Reuters they viewed any deployment as more of a political stunt than a serious crime-fighting solution, and a way for Trump to blunt criticism that he's only targeting Democratic-controlled cities and states.

A Pentagon spokesperson did not comment in detail on the documents, but a spokesperson said, "Leaked documents should not be interpreted as policy. We will not discuss these plans through leaked documents, pre-decisional or otherwise."

The planning documents, according to the Post, state that the plan would allow the military to supplement law enforcement in cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

The Pentagon's plan outlines a mobilization lasting until Sept 30, 2026, though no start date was specified in the documents.

Among the documents is an unsigned, undated draft memo from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which highlights the "unique advantage" of the Pentagon's proposed approach to law enforcement in Louisiana, according to the Post.

The proposal, which hinges upon a request from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, has not been confirmed as approved by federal or state officials, the Post reported.

On Friday, Trump said he would send National Guard troops to Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis mayor said Saturday that Trump's TV announcement the day before was the first hard confirmation he received that the National Guard troops would be sent to the city on an anti-crime mission.

Speaking on CNN, Mayor Paul Young said he learned the idea was under consideration when Republican Governor Bill Lee's office informed him earlier in the week.

Agencies Via Xinhua