US President Donald Trump signed an order on Monday to send the National Guard to Memphis to combat what his administration says is rampant crime. Trump, who has already deployed troops to Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles this year, said he also plans to take similar action in Chicago and other parts of the United States. The cities in question are all run by Democrats.
As a major test of the limits of presidential power by using military force in US cities, the deployment of the National Guard is supported by the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Department of Homeland Security, and US Marshals, alongside local law enforcement. Attorney General Pam Bondi will head the operation.
Trump stated that Memphis has the highest violent crime rate, the highest property crime rate, and the third-highest murder rate of any city in the nation. He added that the aim is to stamp out crime and cited similar reasons for last month’s troop deployment in Washington, D.C.
Trump’s moves have been criticized as an “authoritarian push.” The deployment of National Guard troops has been seen as a manufactured crisis and an overextension of presidential power by many, including California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/trump-deploys-national-guard-to-memphis-vows-chicago-next/a-74005719?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
