The federal government states troops support immigration agents and protect federal property, but critics question the legality and necessity of these deployments in domestic policing
National Guard troops are now patrolling in Memphis, Tennessee, under the approval of the state’s governor, even as federal court rulings have stalled President Donald Trump’s attempts to deploy similar forces in Chicago and Portland, Oregon.
What is happening in Memphis?
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Troops in Memphis, dressed in Guard fatigues and protective vests with guns in their holsters, patrolled a Bass Pro Shops store and a nearby tourist welcome centre along the Mississippi River on Friday. It is not clear how many troops have been deployed.
Trump announced on September 15 that he intended to send the Guard to Memphis. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, supported the plan to strengthen law enforcement operations there.
Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat who did not request the deployment, said he hopes the task force will focus on violent offenders rather than “scare, harass or intimidate residents.”
Federal officials stated that agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the US Marshals Service have made hundreds of arrests and issued more than 2,800 traffic citations since the task force began operating in Memphis on September 29.
Where else has Trump tried to send troops?
Trump has also sent or discussed sending troops to Baltimore, the District of Columbia, New Orleans, and the California cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
According to the federal government, the troops are meant to support immigration agents and protect federal property.
By contrast, Trump tried to deploy National Guard troops, including some from Texas and California, in Portland and Chicago by taking control of them directly, over objections from state and local leaders. Critics argued that such actions violated state sovereignty and federal law.
What is happening in Illinois?
In Illinois, senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth said they were denied access on Friday to the ICE facility in Broadview, a site of confrontations between protesters and federal agents.
Duckworth said, “It is appalling that two United States senators are not allowed to visit this facility. What are you afraid of?”
Durbin added, “Something is going on in there they don't want us to see. I don't know what it is.” The senators noted that they have congressional oversight authority.
A federal judge in Chicago also blocked the deployment of troops for at least two weeks. US District Judge April Perry stated that the Trump administration violated the 10th Amendment, which grants certain powers to states, and the 14th Amendment, which ensures due process and equal protection.
In a written order, Perry highlighted America’s long-standing reluctance to involve the military in domestic policing. She wrote, “Not even the Founding Father most ardently in favour of a strong federal government, Alexander Hamilton, believed that one state's militia could be sent to another state for the purposes of political retribution.”
Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois said, “The court confirmed what we all know: There is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago.”
What is happening in Oregon?
A court in Oregon delayed a similar deployment to Portland. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments on Thursday. Lt. Commander Theresa Meadows, a spokesperson for US Northern Command, said the troops sent to Portland and Chicago “are not conducting any operational activities at this time.”
How are troops operating in Chicago?
Around 500 Guard members from Texas and Illinois arrived at a US Army Reserve Center in Elwood, southwest of Chicago. They have been activated for 60 days and began patrolling on Thursday behind portable fences outside the ICE Broadview facility.
A federal judge also ordered ICE to remove an 8-foot-tall fence outside the Broadview facility after the Village of Broadview said it blocked a public street illegally. Another federal judge temporarily required federal agents to wear badges and banned the use of certain riot control weapons against peaceful protesters and journalists outside the facility, about 19 kilometres west of Chicago.
Are there recent incidents related to federal agents?
Federal prosecutors have obtained a grand jury indictment against a woman and man accused of using their vehicles to strike and box in a Border Patrol agent’s vehicle last Saturday. The agent fired five shots at Marimar Martinez, 30, who was treated at a hospital. Anthony Ruiz, 21, is also charged.
Why are these deployments controversial?
The deployment of National Guard troops in domestic cities raises questions about state sovereignty, the role of federal law enforcement, and the use of military forces in civilian areas. While Memphis has approval from Governor Bill Lee, court rulings in Chicago and Portland show legal limits on the President’s ability to deploy troops without state consent.
AP inputs
Published: 11 Oct 2025, 03:31 pm IST
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