Leaked plan shows Pentagon planning to deploy 1,000 National Guard troops in Louisiana: Report

Democratic leaders have said that deployment of National Guard and immigration officers in cities is merely a show of power by Trump, rather than a serious attempt to resolve crime in the respective states.

Reuters reported that more than a dozen residents of Shreveport, Louisiana said they viewed any law enforcement deployment by the Trump administration more of a political stunt than a serious crime-fighting solution.

A Pentagon spokesperson, talking about the leaked proposal, said “Leaked documents should not be interpreted as policy. We will not discuss these plans through leaked documents, pre-decisional or otherwise,” Reuters reported.

The leaked documents, according to the Post, details the plan that would allow the military to supplement law enforcement in cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The Pentagon plan has outlined the mobilization of troops until September 30, 2026 but the documents reportedly didn’t mention any start date.

Earlier on Friday, Trump had said he would deploy National Guard troops to Memphis, Tennessee.

The documents accessed by the Post show an unsigned and undated draft memo from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The purported documents highlight the “unique advantage” Pentagon would have during its approach to deploy law enforcement in Louisiana.

Trump had earlier deployed National Guard troops in Los Angeles, California and Washington DC, both run by Democratic governors.

(with inputs from Washington Post, Reuters)