Judge Blocks National Guard Deployment In Memphis 

The Trump administration faces yet another legal setback after a Tennessee judge blocked a National Guard deployment in Memphis. 

According to AP, Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal placed a five-day hold on the block to give the government time to appeal the decision. While Tennessee law provides the governor with “the authority to dispatch the Guard when needed and to determine when that need exists,” Moskal found that the governor’s power as commander in chief of the National Guard “is not unfettered.” 

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris posted a statement on X voicing his approval of the judge’s decision. “The injunction does not take effect immediately, and the state has a chance to seek leave to appeal,” he wrote. “However, this is a positive step toward ensuring the rule of law applies to everyone, including everyday Tennesseans and even the Governor.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the state attorney general have not responded to the ruling, though Lee’s spokesperson, Elizabeth Lane Johnson, released a statement after the lawsuit was filed. “Every Memphian deserves to feel safe in their community, and through state, local, and federal partnerships, the Memphis Safe Task Force has created a generational opportunity that is already delivering remarkable results to enhance public safety,” the statement read. “We are confident the court will uphold the Governor’s constitutional authority.

President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Memphis on Oct. 10, and they’ve largely been patrolling popular commercial areas. While they have no arrest power, Trump has said the National Guard is part of the “Memphis Safe Task Force,” which includes several other local and federal law enforcement agencies. The task force has made 2,000 arrests since the deployment to Memphis, ranging from drug charges to homicides. 

Memphis is only one of several Democratic cities where Trump has deployed the National Guard. The deployments began over the summer in Los Angeles in response to protests against ICE’s immigration raids. Deployments followed in Washington, D.C., Portland, and Chicago. 

While the Guard has maintained a presence in D.C., the deployments in Portland and Chicago have faced significant legal pushback. The deployment in Portland has been blocked by a judge, with another judge similarly blocking the deployment in Chicago. Despite the deployments continually being blocked, Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard to San Francisco and New Orleans. 

In addition to the legal setbacks, there’s been growing discontent among National Guardsmen about the deployments. There were widespread reports of low morale among the National Guard members deployed to D.C., as many of them were pulled from their full-time jobs to pick up trash and patrol tourist areas. A group of National Guardsmen in Ohio formed a Signal group chat to discuss their concerns about the deployments to American cities. 

Unlike ICE, whose modus operandi has largely been terrorizing Black, brown, and immigrant communities, many of the National Guard members have spoken about how these deployments aren’t what they signed up for. While the National Guard has been deployed during protests and uprisings, they’ve largely been used to provide humanitarian aid in the wake of climate disasters. Trump has spoken about wanting to use the National Guard to help with mass deportations, which the Guard legally can’t do. Many of the Guardsmen in the Signal group chat have said that if Trump tries to use the Guard for immigration raids, they would resign. 

So, in addition to courts pushing back against Trump’s use of the National Guard, these deployments have resulted in National Guardsmen questioning their mission and considering resignation. Is this what winning is supposed to look like? 

SEE ALSO:

Trump Floats Idea Of Deploying National Guard To New Orleans

National Guardsmen Questioning Trump Deployments In Signal Groupchat