Despite reports that the Trump administration is planning to deploy the Louisiana National Guard, state troops have not yet been activated, The Center Square reported Thursday.
According to authenticated Pentagon planning documents leaked to The Washington Post, the administration is gearing up to send 1,000 Louisiana National Guard soldiers to crack down on crime in cities across the state.
The documents show that the Department of Defense plans to use Title 32 of the U.S. Code to keep National Guard troops under the control of the state’s governor, but with operations funded by the federal government.
“We are not mobilized in Louisiana,” Lt. Col. Noel Collins, Louisiana National Guard director of public affairs, told The Center Square. “If/when ordered, we will support. We do not speculate about potential operations and their associated costs.”
The mobilization is planned to last until Sept. 30, 2026, according to the documents, which do not specify a start date.
According to an unsigned, undated draft memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem included in the documents, the plan would allow the military to assist law enforcement in Louisiana cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge if Gov. Jeff Landry requests federal intervention.
Reports of a potential National Guard deployment to Louisiana come after President Donald Trump said Monday that he is considering sending an attachment to New Orleans and after he ordered a similar deployment to Memphis, Tennessee.
Landry, a Republican, reportedly said in early September that his state would “take President Trump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport” to control crime.
Responding to the proposed activation on Facebook, the Louisiana Democratic Party blasted Landry’s support of National Guard troops patrolling the streets of the Bayou State.
“Louisiana doesn’t need a military occupation,” the party said. “We need leaders who invest in our people.”
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux recently said he respects Landry’s “concern for public safety” and appreciates “his intention to support the provision of additional resources to fight crime.”
“While we are committed to solving our challenges locally, and I have full confidence in the ability of our police department to do so, Shreveport remains prepared and focused on the safety and well-being of our residents,” Arceneaux said, according to The Center Square. “That said, any city our size can always use additional resources in the battle against crime. The question is how, when, and in what form to provide those resources.”
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