(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump’s federal crackdown on crime was underway Thursday in Memphis, Tenn., where more than 200 officers have been deployed.
Federal officials reported the “Memphis Safe” task force, which includes personnel from immigration and drug enforcement, led to more than 90 arrests within the first 72 hours.
“Yesterday 40 arrests were made including a Tren de Aragua terrorist, a felon in possession of a firearm, a man wanted for rape of a child, and an arrest for assault on a federal officer,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday. “To date, there have been 93 arrests and 28 illegal guns seized. Our work is saving lives. My message to law enforcement is simple: we have your back!”
Bondi and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth both rallied federal law enforcement Wednesday and said the effort aims to target violent offenders — without militarizing city streets.
Task force will ‘liberate’ local police: Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth
Additional National Guard troops are expected to secure facilities and handle logistics, they said, freeing up local law officers to execute warrants and conduct patrols.
“Our job here is to help liberate all of you law enforcement,” Hegseth said during a news conference in Memphis on Wednesday. “To provide national guardsmen who can secure facilities and secure law enforcement stand alongside you so you’re free to go out and provide safety and freedom to the citizens of Memphis, a great American city.”
The Memphis operation is part of a broader federal strategy that has taken aim at Washington, D.C., Portland and Chicago. Supporters have argued the move will make the city safer, while critics have called it federal overreach in a majority-Black community.
“All of the Memphis police officers … we are here to have your backs,” Bondi said. “All of our officers are working hand in hand with you as a team. That’s what we did in D.C., and that’s what we’re going to do here. We’re going to keep you safe.”
Next steps include additional warrant enforcement, increased federal resources and a longer presence in Memphis. The political question is whether this will become a model for other cities or a flashpoint as the 2026 midterms approach.