State officials said Saturday that no decisions had been made on whether or how to deploy the National Guard to fight crime in Louisiana cities, after national media said the Pentagon had drafted plans to deploy 1,000 troops in the state’s “urban centers.”
That draft plan called for deployments to bolster law enforcement in multiple cities, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge, if Gov. Jeff Landry requests it, The Washington Post reported.
The undated memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem proposes keeping the troops under Landry’s control while funding the mobilization with federal dollars, the Post reported. Pentagon officials confirmed the accuracy of the documents but issued a statement saying they “should not be interpreted as policy,” according to the Post.
In interviews Saturday, Louisiana officials said the plans have not reached the state level and no such deployment is imminent. The documents do not specify when troops would arrive, but they indicate a deployment would last until the end of September 2026.
Lt. Col. Noel Collins, a spokesperson for the Louisiana National Guard, said the agency had not received any orders related to the Pentagon plans.
“Just because the Pentagon’s working plans does not mean that that’s down to our level yet,” she said.
Shane Guidry, a New Orleans businessman who is one of Landry’s confidants and point man for New Orleans issues, said “nothing is imminent” as far as he knew. A spokesperson for Landry’s office declined to comment on “leaked or pre-decisional documents.”
The report on the Pentagon’s plan comes as President Donald Trump has mentioned in recent days that Louisiana is one of the places he is considering sending troops after doing so in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. Last week he mused that “we’re going to be going to maybe Louisiana,” and suggested that crime in New Orleans could be solved “in about two weeks.”
In a Fox News interview Friday, Trump said Landry “wants us to go in,” and pledged to “fix” New Orleans in a week and a half. In recent weeks, Trump has shifted focus to Democratic-led cities in Republican-led states, with New Orleans and Memphis among them.
U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, called the details reported by the Washington Post “deeply troubling,” but emphasized “this is not an official order — it’s a draft proposal that even the Pentagon says should not be interpreted as policy.”
“New Orleans is experiencing the lowest crime rates in decades. There is no ’emergency’ that justifies militarizing our streets,” Carter said in a statement. “If the President truly wants to help, he should invest in recruiting and training more police officers, strengthen our district attorney’s office, and revive proven community policing efforts.”
Violent crime has been on the decline in New Orleans after a spike in the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistics show the city is on track for the fewest murders since the early 1970s.
In an interview on Saturday, Guidry said that the administration appeared to be making plans for states where governors, who oversee National Guard troops based on their states, would approve of the deployments.
“My understanding is they are getting prepared for governors that want help,” Guidry said. “And they are also getting prepared for cities that need help. Trump has been real clear on TV that he’s coming to other cities. We’ll have to see what that is.”
Guidry argued that other Louisiana cities, not just New Orleans, could use the federal help, given difficulties in keeping police departments fully staffed.
“I caution those leaders out there that are so against that help, where those who do accept the help will shine with the voters,” he said. “I don’t care who you are: No one wants their daughter beat up, their mother-in-law carjacked.”
Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy said his city’s efforts to reduce violent crime have paid off, with gun-related homicides down 60% since he took office. But Roy said he’s been in contact with state leaders about additional help from “every available partner and resource,” noting many law enforcement agencies are struggling with recruitment and retention.
“With focus, those resources could make a real difference and are welcome” he said of Trump’s proposal. “We have Camp Beauregard next door. Our own community guardsmen. We are lucky and blessed.”
East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards has said he is open to the idea of a guard presence in the capital city, but said in a statement “it is premature for me to comment on this matter as I’ve yet to hear anything about sending troops to Louisiana.”
“I will say that we are severely short of Law Enforcement Officers in Baton Rouge,” he added.
Staff writers Meghan Friedmann and Missy Wilkinson contributed to this report.