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Trump says he'll send National Guard to Memphis instead of Chicago
President Trump pivots from Chicago to Memphis, sending the National Guard to fight crime there. Here's what we know.
CHICAGO - President Donald Trump said Friday he will send the National Guard to Memphis to address crime, shifting plans away from Chicago after pushback from Illinois leaders.
What we know:
Trump made the announcement during an interview on Fox News, saying he "would have preferred going to Chicago" but described the city as "hostile" with "professional agitators."
Both Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson opposed the idea of a deployment there.
Instead, Trump said Memphis, Tennessee, leaders are on board: "The mayor is happy" and "the governor is happy." The city's mayor is a Democrat, and the state's governor is a Republican.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 05: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as he signs executive orders during a press availability in the Oval Office of the White House on September 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump signed e …
Trump added that Memphis is "deeply troubled" and promised to "fix that just like we did Washington," where he previously sent National Guard troops and increased federal law enforcement.
What they're saying:
"Because of the unified opposition from community leaders and elected officials in Chicago and throughout the state, the Trump administration backed down from its threats of sending in the National Guard to Chicago," Mayor Johnson said in a statement.
"We continue to call on the federal government to send additional resources to help us continue to drive down violent crime, but we reject any military occupation of our city. The way to reduce violence is by focusing on the strategies that work: effective policing, violence prevention, and investing in communities."
The backstory:
Since taking office in January, Trump has sent the Guard to Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., and openly floated sending troops to other Democratic-led cities, including Chicago and Baltimore. He has argued the moves are needed to crack down on crime.
Following the federal surge in D.C., the Trump administration and Mayor Muriel Bowser – a Democrat – both reported the city saw a sharp decline in crime.
Operation Midway Blitz
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security this week launched "Operation Midway Blitz," a new enforcement initiative targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records in the Chicago area.
DHS said the effort is named for Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old Illinois woman killed in January in a drunk driving crash. Authorities said the driver was a Guatemalan national in the country illegally.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said sanctuary policies in Illinois "allow [illegal immigrants] to roam free and terrorize innocent Americans without consequence." She said recent arrests in Chicago have included "pedophiles, rapists, abusers, armed robbers, and other violent thugs."
ICE arrests 'worst of the worst' in Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz
ICE says at least 13 people with violent criminal records were arrested in Chicago under "Operation Midway Blitz," a new federal crackdown.
Sen. Dick Durbin called the effort "a waste of money" that "stokes fear."
What we don't know:
Trump said the National Guard deployment in Memphis is forthcoming, though no specific timeline was announced.
The Source: The information in this article came from an interview President Donald Trump had on Fox News, The Associated Press, and previous FOX 32 reporting.