President Donald Trump signed a memo Monday establishing a task force in Memphis, Tennessee, that would mobilize the National Guard and other federal law enforcement agencies to crack down on crime, similar to steps taken in Washington, D.C.
“The effort will include the National Guard, as well as the FBI, ATF, DEA, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S marshals and more,” Trump said in the Oval Office.
“This team will deploy the full powers of federal law enforcement agencies and enforcement generally to restore public safety and get dangerous career criminals off of our streets,” he added.
The effort is expected get underway this month, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying during a Fox News interview on Monday night that "we’re thrilled to go into Memphis next week."
"We're working hand in hand with our U.S. senators, with the governor there, and we're just so excited about making Memphis safe again," she added.
Speaking to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, who attended the memo-signing ceremony in the Oval Office, Trump said he expected crime rates to drop "in four or five weeks, maybe sooner."
"You're going to see numbers that will drop and plummet like you haven't — just like we did in D.C., they plummeted," Trump said.
Lee said Tennessee is "very hopeful and excited about the prospect of moving that city forward."
“‘I’m tired of crime holding the great city Memphis back,” he added.
Trump said Friday that he planned to send federal law enforcement and National Guard troops into Memphis, calling the city "deeply troubled."
Police Chief CJ Davis said last week that Memphis has seen "historic reductions" in crime rates, including a murder rate that had dropped to a six-year low.
Memphis is the latest in a growing list of cities run by Democrats that are targets for federal intervention by the Trump administration.
Trump also said Monday that St. Louis would be among the cities where he plans to initiate a federal crackdown on crime.
"We want to save these places," Trump said, referring to Chicago and St. Louis, noting that Chicago was "probably next."
Trump has also suggested that he could send federal troops to New Orleans.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, sued the Trump administration over similar efforts to deploy the National Guard in response to protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Los Angeles, arguing Trump had federalized troops without his consent or input.
A federal judge this month found that Trump's use of troops in Los Angeles was illegal because it violated a law prohibiting the use of soldiers for civilian law enforcement activities. The case is under appeal.
