The Trump administration is deploying 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans ahead of the new year, marking another federal deployment in the city as an immigration crackdown led by border patrol continues. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Tuesday that the troops will support federal law enforcement partners, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, and will remain deployed through February.
Louisiana's governor, Jeff Landry, a Republican, praised President Donald Trump and US defence secretary Pete Hegseth for coordinating the deployment, predicting the Guard's presence would have a positive impact. "It's going to help us further crack down on the violence here in the city of New Orleans and elsewhere around Louisiana," Landry said on Fox News. "And so a big shoutout to both of them."
Critics have argued the deployment is unwarranted and could cause fear in the community, pointing out that New Orleans has actually seen a decrease in violent crime rates. Data from the city's police department shows New Orleans has been on pace for much of the year to record its lowest number of murders in decades, with 97 homicides in 2025 as of 1 November, including 14 revelers killed in a truck attack on Bourbon Street on New Year's Day.
The deployment comes as border patrol agents have been carrying out an immigration crackdown since the beginning of the month. According to the Department of Homeland Security, agents have arrested several hundred people during the first couple of weeks of what is expected to be a months-long operation with a goal of 5,000 arrests.
In September, Landry asked Trump to send 1,000 federally funded troops to Louisiana cities, citing concerns about crime. New Orleans is no stranger to National Guard presence: 100 guard members were sent to the city in January to help with security after the New Year's Day attack, and Guard members were also present for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras. City figures show 124 homicides last year and 193 in 2023, with armed robberies, aggravated assaults, carjackings, shootings and property crimes also trending downward.
