The White House claims its strategy of deploying federal troops has successfully ended a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., with plans underway to extend this approach to other U.S. cities.
In Memphis, the presence of federal troops has led to 93 arrests and the seizure of 28 illegal guns within the first 72 hours, Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Right now it’s just really getting the crime under control in Memphis because it has been out of control,” Bondi said.
The initiative also involves increased efforts by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with Chicago already seeing action and Portland, Ore., reportedly next.
Despite federal plans, local leaders in Portland highlight a significant drop in homicides. According to for 2024, the city is ranked 72nd in violent crime according to the latest FBI data.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Chief Bob Day of the Portland Police Bureau stated, “We are not tolerating violence or vandalism, illegal behavior, but we also are huge proponents of free speech and for people to be able to travel freely and safely about the city.”
Top Trump administration officials, visiting Memphis, aim to replicate the D.C. model, where federal troops were deployed for weeks. Bondi noted, “The model that we did in DC worked incredible and as you can see crime has plummeted in DC.”
However, the collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities has sparked controversy. A video obtained by the Washington Post shows a D.C. police officer releasing a man to a Homeland Security officer after a traffic stop, a partnership the Trump administration supports but others oppose. Mayor Muriel Bowser expressed concerns, stating, “We never wanted MPD to patrol with Homeland Security agencies, but they are part of the task force, and that should change.”
Several state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, arguing that the deployment of federal troops is illegal and seeking to halt further deployments.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said, “The President is basing his facts on what he’s seeing on social media, as opposed to what’s really going on in the ground.”