Military on the streets of New Orleans on February 4, 2025, for the Super Bowl / Photo: Dan Anderson/ZUMA Press Wire/Shu / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The Trump administration is sending 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans before the New Year, launching a new federal intervention in the city. At the same time, there is a campaign to limit immigration, writes The Guardian.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Tuesday that members of the National Guard will support federal law enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Parnell added that National Guard troops will be deployed by February.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, praised Donald Trump and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for the troop deployment.
“It's going to help us get even tougher on the violence in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana,” Landry said on Fox News.
Crime in New Orleans, down
Critics argue that sending in the National Guard is not justified and could cause fear in the community, pointing out that New Orleans has actually seen a drop in violent crime rates, notes The Guardian.
The deployment of the National Guard to the Democratic-led city comes as Border Patrol agents have been waging a crackdown on immigration since the beginning of the month. According to the Department of Homeland Security, agents have arrested several hundred people in the first two weeks of an operation that is expected to last months and aims to make 5,000 arrests.
In September, Jeff Landry asked Trump to send 1,000 troops to Louisiana cities, citing crime concerns. Landry previously praised Trump for sending troops to other cities, including Washington DC and Memphis, Tennessee.
According to preliminary data from the city's police department, New Orleans has been headed for the lowest number of homicides in decades for most of the year. There were 97 homicides in 2025 through November 1.
There were 124 homicides in 2024 and 193 in 2023. Armed robbery, aggravated assault, carjacking, shooting and property crime also trended down.
New Orleans is no stranger to the presence of National Guard members in the city. In January, 100 members of the Guard were sent to the city to help with security measures after the New Year's Day lorry attack. The National Guard was also present at major events held in the city this year, including the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.
