Defense Department documents show the Trump administration would activate up to 1,000 Louisiana National Guard soldiers to serve in a law enforcement role in "urban centers," the Washington Post reports.
The draft memo from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the guard would support law enforcement in cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge, pending a request from the governor.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has expressed support for the president ordering the National Guard to support law enforcement in Louisiana, but has not announced any formal request.
The memo indicates the guard's deployment would be paid for with federal money, not state taxpayer dollars.
President Trump told Fox News on Friday morning that New Orleans "is in really bad shape, and the governor wants us to go in."
Crime rates in New Orleans so far this year are down in almost every category, and the number of murders is the lowest in nearly 50 years.
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter (D-New Orleans) called the Trump administration plan “politically motivated.”
“The facts matter: New Orleans is experiencing the lowest crime rates in decades, with homicides and overall crime trending downward,” said Carter. “There is no ‘emergency’ that justifies militarizing our city streets.”