September 15, 2025
Trump and Gov. Bill Lee sign memorandum to mobilize Guard for Memphis despite Mayor Paul Young's objections
City Council wanted federal funding not military occupation for crime
📜Constitutional Law⚖️Justice🎖️Veterans
On Sept. 12, 2025, President Trump announced on Fox & Friends that he would send National Guard support to Memphis.
On Sept. 15, 2025, Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum establishing the Memphis Safe Task Force while Gov. Bill Lee joined him in the Oval Office.
The memorandum directs coordination among federal agencies and asks the Secretary of War to request that the Governor make Tennessee National Guard units available under section 502 of Title 32.
Mayor Paul Young said he ''did not ask for the National Guard'' and was ''certainly not happy.'' The memorandum and state announcement said the task force will include multiple federal agencies and that Tennessee activated more than 100 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers to support the effort.
President Trump announced plans for federal support for Memphis on Fox & Friends on Sept. 12, 2025, and he signed a Presidential Memorandum creating the Memphis Safe Task Force on Sept. 15, 2025.
The Presidential Memorandum instructs the Secretary of War to request that the Governor of Tennessee make National Guard units available under section 502 of Title 32. [Presidential Memorandum;
The Memphis Safe Task Force is authorized to coordinate with multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, ATF, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals Service, and to work with state and local partners.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young publicly said he 'did not ask for the National Guard' and said he was 'certainly not happy' about the deployment.
Governor Bill Lee attended the Sept. 15 Oval Office signing and the Tennessee governor's office said it activated 'more than 100' Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers to support operations in Shelby County.
Memphis police reported declines in major crime categories through early 2025, and local officials described overall crime through the first eight months of 2025 as at a 25-year low.
📜Constitutional Law⚖️Justice🎖️Veterans
People, bills, and sources
What You Can Do
1
understanding
Monitor troop and authority details
Track Title 32 activation orders, start dates, and exact National Guard unit counts because the Presidential Memorandum requests Guard availability but left numbers and activation specifics to the Secretary of War and the Governor.
2
practicing
Track crime statistics
Compare Memphis Police Department's reported declines through August 2025 with crime data after federal coordination begins to measure effects.
3
civic action
Watch for legal challenges
Monitor filings and civil rights group responses. The memorandum instructs federal-state coordination and raises Posse Comitatus and civil rights questions that legal groups may challenge.