Gov. Bill Lee said at a Tuesday press conference that he does not plan to deploy National Guard troops to Tennessee cities. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee isn’t considering deploying National Guard personnel to Tennessee cities for law enforcement or accepting federal troops to patrol Memphis, despite a presidential order.
“We have no plans to put the National Guard there now,” Lee said Tuesday.
Lee told reporters he believes President Donald Trump “made a smart decision” to combat crime in Washington, D.C., and major cities nationwide with National Guard troops, including 160 personnel from Tennessee.
But the governor said the state made “significant investments” to stem crime in Memphis, including spending $150 million in grant funds and increasing Tennessee Highway Patrol enforcement with help from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshals Service and local agencies. He added that a report he received Tuesday morning showed crime is down 15% in Memphis, though he didn’t specify a time frame.
In light of those efforts, he said he has no plans to send the military into Memphis or other cities, even though Trump reportedly said troops should be sent to Memphis and signed an executive order creating a quick strike force to go into the nation’s largest cities to combat crime.
“We’ve had no conversations with the president or his team about National Guard in Memphis. We have targeted our efforts and our communications with those federal agencies. I even spoke this morning with an FBI official about our efforts in Memphis and Shelby County and how they’re working. So that’s where we are today,” Lee said.
Lee recently activated Guard personnel to handle logistical and clerical work for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to enable more federal agents to concentrate on immigrant deportation. In addition, he sent state troops to Washington, D.C., last week in response to Trump’s request for increased patrols in the nation’s capital.
The president’s Monday order allows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to set up a “quick reaction force” for national deployment and directs National Guard units to be ready to help local, state and federal law enforcement in stopping civil disturbances and “ensuring public safety.” Asked Tuesday if he would consider deploying Guard personnel for law enforcement in Tennessee cities such as Memphis and Nashville, Lee said, “There are no circumstances that currently exist that we believe warrant that, so we’re not talking about that right now. It’s not a consideration for us right now.”
Democratic leaders nationwide have criticized moves by the president and Republican governors to use the military for civilian law enforcement. California Gov. Gavin Newsom filed suit against the president for deploying National Guard troops and the Marines to Los Angeles.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Comments