By: Louisiana Illuminator

The Trump administration has given its OK for Louisiana to deploy up to 350 of its National Guard members to “counter high rates of violent crime in New Orleans and other metropolitan areas” of the state, according to a statement Tuesday from the Pentagon.

Gov. Jeff Landry shared news of the deployment, which the U.S. Department of Defense has authorized through Feb. 28, during an appearance on Fox News, saying it was an action “which we desperately need.”

“We know how to make cities safe,” Landry said in an interview with Will Cain, “and the National Guard complements cities that are having high crime problems.”

Though police in Louisiana’s major metropolitan areas have reported decreasing crime trends in recent years, their rates of violent and property offenses have continued to stay above the national average.

The governor has sought official approval from the Trump administration to use National Guard troops in Louisiana for months. Although Landry has authority to activate the state militia on his own, the official nod from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signals the federal government will cover the cost, though the Pentagon statement did not mention any financial details.

Landry touted President Donald Trump’s move to bring National Guard troops, including 135 from Louisiana, to patrol Washington, D.C. Those members will return to Louisiana to supplement local police efforts, said Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of Louisiana.

This will be the second year in a row National Guard members will be part of the enhanced law enforcement presence in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The Biden administration approved their use following the Jan. 1 terror attack on Bourbon Street, where 14 people were killed and 37 injured.

Guard members are expected to return to New Orleans just after Christmas, having just helped augment city and state police for the annual Bayou Classic festivities during Thanksgiving weekend.

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In A Flash

Landry pledges Louisiana National Guard troops for Trump’s DC takeover

By:Greg LaRose-August 19, 20255:59 am

Lake ChNational Guard members with 41st Field Artillery Regiment of New Orleans unload bags of ice to load into vehicles at a Hurricane Ida distribution point near the Lake Charles Civic Centerarles after Laura

National Guard members with 41st Field Artillery Regiment of New Orleans unload bags of ice to load into vehicles at a Hurricane Ida distribution point near the Lake Charles Civic Center on Aug. 31, 2020. (Photo by Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator)

Gov. Jeff Landry has approved sending 135 members of the Louisiana National Guard to Washington, D.C., in support of President Donald Trump’s takeover of the city’s police department.

More than 1,000 National Guard soldiers from multiple states have been directed to the nation’s capital since Trump declared a “crime emergency” there, despite its violent crime rate reaching a 30-year low.

“We are a nation of law and order. Our capital is a reflection of our nation’s respect, beauty, and standards,” Landry wrote Monday in a social media post. “We cannot allow our cities to be overcome by violence and lawlessness. I am proud to support this mission to return safety and sanity to Washington DC and cities all across our country, including right here in Louisiana.”

The governor did not indicate how long Louisiana’s guard members will be deployed. The part-time soldiers typically hold separate full-time jobs they must leave behind when on assignment.

In addition Louisiana, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves will send 200 of his National Guard members to Washington; Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will send 150 members his state’s National Guard; South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster approved 200 members; and West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey will send up to 400 National Guard members.

In addition to deploying the National Guard to Washington, Trump has leaned on the district’s Home Rule Act to have the 3,400-person Metropolitan Police Force assist in immigration enforcement.

Trump’s emergency order expires in about three weeks, but he has said he intends to extend it and ask Congress to pay for the effort.

Source: Newswire @ Pentagon OKs Louisiana National Guard deployment for ‘violent crime’ in cities • Louisiana Illuminator