President Donald Trump said during a cabinet meeting that National Guard troops and other federal resources will be sent to New Orleans in the coming weeks as part of a broader crime initiative that has already reached cities such as Washington, D.C., and Memphis. He said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry requested federal assistance to help address crime in the state.
During a cabinet meeting on Monday, President Donald Trump said the federal crime crackdown would soon extend to New Orleans.
"We're going to New Orleans pretty soon. The governor called me; he'd like to have us go there," Trump said, according to The Daily Wire. "Governor Landry — great guy, great governor. He's asked for help in New Orleans and we're going to go there in a couple of weeks."
Trump framed the move as part of a series of federal interventions in Democratic-led cities. He pointed to Washington, D.C., where the administration this summer took temporary control of the police department and deployed National Guard troops and federal law enforcement as part of a crime "emergency" order. Trump has repeatedly described the outcome there as a "miracle," arguing that various crimes fell after the federal takeover, even as local officials and independent analysts note that crime was already near a 30‑year low and that the deployment has sparked lawsuits and a federal court ruling questioning its legality.
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, who initially criticized the intervention, later acknowledged that reductions in certain offenses can improve residents’ sense of safety. "We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer," she said in August, as quoted by The Daily Wire.
New Orleans continues to face public‑safety concerns. A recent WalletHub analysis cited by The Daily Wire ranked New Orleans last in overall safety among 182 U.S. cities, with Memphis at No. 181 and Baton Rouge at No. 180.
In September, Republican Governor Jeff Landry submitted a formal "request for federal assistance" seeking authorization for up to 1,000 Louisiana National Guard troops to help address crime statewide. "Since taking office, we have made real progress in driving down crime across Louisiana — but the job is far from finished," Landry said in a statement at the time, according to The Daily Wire. "Federal partnerships in our toughest cities have worked, and now, with the support of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, we are taking the next step by bringing in the National Guard."
Landry emphasized public safety as the mission’s core objective. "This mission is about saving lives and protecting families. To the criminals terrorizing our communities: your time is up. Law and order are back in Louisiana," he said.
Separately from the anticipated Guard deployment, federal immigration authorities are preparing a surge in New Orleans. The Daily Wire previously reported that U.S. Border Patrol plans to conduct operations in the city under the nickname "Swamp Sweep," involving roughly 250 agents.
Democratic Mayor‑elect Helena Moreno has raised concerns about potential due‑process and civil‑rights issues tied to federal enforcement actions seen in other cities. "My first priority is to keep our community safe. The reports of due process violations and potential abuses in other cities are concerning. I want our community to be aware and informed of the protections available under law," she said in a statement cited by The Daily Wire.
Moreno launched a "community resources" webpage outlining how residents can navigate federal immigration enforcement and stressing that local police "will not ask about your immigration status." She also urged legal advocates to monitor the situation. "We must demand accountability and that people’s rights are not violated. I’m also calling on our legal community to step up and provide whatever assistance they can to help protect and preserve individual rights," she said.
A spokesperson for the city of New Orleans said the city and the New Orleans Police Department have a long track record of working with federal and state law‑enforcement partners, including the National Guard, and that this cooperative stance will continue.
The White House has not yet released a precise timeline or troop numbers for the New Orleans Guard deployment, and some local officials have questioned whether additional federal forces are needed given recent crime trends. For now, Trump and Landry present the coming Guard presence and immigration operations as the next phase of a broader push to tighten public safety across Louisiana.
