Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry submitted a formal request this week for the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops to New Orleans and other cities in the Bayou State to address elevated violent crime rates.
In a Monday letter to War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Landry said that he was seeking to activate up to 1,000 Louisiana National Guard personnel through the end of fiscal year 2026.
“The proposed mission and scope for the Louisiana National Guard would be to deploy throughout the state to urban centers, supplement law enforcement presence in high-crime areas, provide logistical and communication support, and secure critical infrastructure,” the Republican governor wrote. “All operations will adhere to established rules for use of force and prioritize community outreach, to ensure transparency and public trust.”
Landry identified Shreveport, Baton Rouge and New Orleans as places within his state with high crime rates and critical staffing shortages.
“These manpower shortages limit their ability to effectively address this public safety threat and consequently, incidents of homicide, carjacking, and gang-related violence, significantly exceed the national average,” he said in the letter.
The state’s ability to address its crime problem is further complicated by its “vulnerability to natural disasters, particularly hurricanes,” Landry said, adding that the combination of circumstances “strains” the already limited state and local public safety resources.
Louisiana’s request comes after President Donald Trump mobilized the National Guard in other cities and states to combat crime and quell unrest stemming from protests over his immigration enforcement operations.
The governor pointed to those activations in his letter, writing that his request was building upon “the successful model of Title 32 deployments in other jurisdictions, including Washington, D.C., and Tennessee” and said that it will “provide critical support during several high-profile events, including the Bayou Classic, Sugar Bowl, and Mardi Gras.”
The Pentagon also recently called up approximately 200 Oregon National Guardsmen following the president’s announcement that he would deploy troops to Portland. City and state officials filed a lawsuit in response, saying that they “have the capacity to manage public safety without federal interference.”
Landry also warned illegal immigrants living in his state in a press release on Monday, saying that “[g]ang members, rapists, drug dealers, and human smugglers have no place in this country, and we are no longer giving them a free pass.”
“If you come to our country illegally and terrorize our people and community, Louisiana will be giving you a new address, Louisiana Lockup,” he said, referring to the migrant detention facility located along the Mississippi River surrounded by alligator-filled swamplands.
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