Washington — US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a memorandum to deploy National Guard troops, FBI agents and drug enforcement officers to Memphis as part of his effort to combat crime in US cities.
The move, Trump said while signing the memorandum, comes at the request of Republican Governor Bill Lee. He added that the task force would follow the model of the operation in Washington. The document did not specify a start date.
"The effort will include the National Guard as well as the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and the US Marshals," Trump said.
Memphis, in the US state of Tennessee, is the third Democrat-run city to which the president sends National Guard troops — after Los Angeles and Washington. Memphis Mayor Paul Young opposes the deployment.
Trump also renewed threats to deploy troops in Chicago, despite objections from city and state officials, saying: "We hope we have the governor's support, or we'll go without him." He said he could also consider intervening in St Louis in the state of Missouri.
The US president previously described Washington as a "rat hole" and sent National Guard troops there weeks ago. In California, National Guard units were deployed in June during protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting migrants, despite opposition from local authorities.
In the US, states normally control the National Guard. The president can assume command only in cases of war or national emergency. The National Guard is a military reserve unit and part of the US armed forces.
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