Trump orders federal task force in Memphis, following similar measure in D.C.

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum establishing a federal task force to combat crime in Memphis, Tennessee, citing what he called “tremendous levels of violent crime” that have overwhelmed local authorities.

The memorandum, announced by President Trump and published by the White House on Monday, directs the creation of the “Memphis Safe Task Force” to coordinate federal, state, and local law enforcement in an effort to reduce violent crime, support local police, and “restore order in the city.”

Speaking at the Oval Office, Trump said the decision followed a request from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. He pointed to earlier federal action in Washington, D.C., which he claimed had reduced crime, and described Memphis as the next priority.

Trump said federal assistance had already been provided in Memphis earlier this year. “We did send the FBI about four months ago to work and brought some of the numbers down, and they did a great job, but we are sending the big force now,” he said.

Trump said smaller federal deployments had also taken place in Chicago, where crime “came down a little bit,” and added that Chicago, St. Louis, and New Orleans could be next for larger federal initiatives.

“We are going to take care of all of them, step by step, just like we did in D.C.,” Trump added. “We have virtually no crime in D.C. right now and we are going to keep it that way in our nation’s capital.”

The memorandum cites FBI data showing Memphis had the highest per capita violent crime rate in the nation in 2024, including high levels of murder, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and vehicle theft.

The task force will be chaired by an appointee of the Attorney General and include representatives from agencies such as the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, among others.

Federal officials will also coordinate with state and local agencies across Tennessee and neighboring states.

The memorandum authorizes the Secretary of War, formerly the Secretary of Defense, to request the deployment of Tennessee National Guard units to support law enforcement operations in Memphis. Additional National Guard personnel may be mobilized as needed to assist with the mission.