(The Center Square) — Despite reports of a possible National Guard deployment in Louisiana, the local guard said it is not mobilized.
The Trump administration would deploy 1,000 Louisiana National Guard troops to heavily affected crime areas in the state, according to leaked Pentagon documents obtained by The Washington Post.
According to the documents, the Defense Department is seeking Title 32 of the U.S. Code to keep the National Guard troops under state control while funded by federal dollars.
Louisiana National Guard Director of Public Affairs, LTC Noel Collins, told The Center Square, “We are not mobilized in Louisiana. If/when ordered, we will support. We do not speculate about potential operations and their associated costs.”
If approved, the National Guard’s mobilization would allegedly last until Sept. 30, 2026, per the Washington Post article.
Some National Guard troops from Louisiana are in Washington, D.C. to support a Title 32 deployment there. The operation’s website did not indicate how many Louisiana troops were in the nation’s capital.
President Donald Trump ordered a similar deployment of troops to Memphis, Tenn., but it has not started. Trump said at a Monday news conference that he was considering a National Guard deployment to New Orleans, saying it could happen after possible deployments to Chicago and St. Louis.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry stated in early September when the administration first proposed the idea of using National Guard troops to control crime.
“We’ll take President Trump’s help from New Orleans to Shreveport,” said Landry.
The Louisiana Democratic Party criticized Landry’s support of National Guard troops patrolling Louisiana cities.
“Louisiana doesn’t need a military occupation. We need leaders who invest in our people,” the party said in a Facebook post earlier this month.
Despite Landry mentioning the third-largest city in Louisiana, Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux said recently he thinks the city is moving in the right direction to lower crime rates.
“I respect Governor Landry’s concern for public safety across Louisiana, and I appreciate his intention to support the provision of additional resources to fight crime in Shreveport,” said Arceneaux. “While we are committed to solving our challenges locally, and I have full confidence in the ability of our police department to do so, Shreveport remains prepared and focused on the safety and well-being of our residents.”
“That said, any city our size can always use additional resources in the battle against crime. The question is how, when, and in what form to provide those resources.,” Arceneaux said.
The National Guard was previously deployed to California under Title 10, meaning troop control remained federal, as opposed to state.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said taxpayers are covering $118 million in costs for the National Guard deployment in Los Angeles.
