The Pentagon announced on Tuesday (December 23) that it will deploy 350 National Guard troops to New Orleans to assist in strengthening security for upcoming major events, including New Year’s Eve, the Sugar Bowl college football game, and the Mardi Gras festival.
A Pentagon spokesman, Sean Parnell, revealed on Tuesday that this deployment will begin shortly after Christmas and the troops will stay until the end of February. These National Guard units will support federal law enforcement officers, including officers from the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, to uphold federal laws and address the high rates of violent crime in New Orleans and other cities in Louisiana.
The National Guard troops will be under the command and control of Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, operating under Title 32 of the U.S. Code – the “Federal-State Mix” authorization, with the federal government covering the costs.
Governor Landry praised President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for coordinating this action. He expressed his gratitude towards Trump and Hegseth during an appearance on Fox News’ The Will Cain Show, noting that this deployment will help further combat violence in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana.
Back in September, Governor Landry had requested Trump to send up to 1,000 federally funded National Guard members to Louisiana cities. Reasons cited included the rise in violent crime in Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans, as well as shortages in local police department personnel.
Landry also commended Trump’s previous deployments of troops to Washington D.C. and Memphis, Tennessee, among other cities.
Major General Thomas Friloux of the Louisiana National Guard expressed his support for the deployment decision, stating that the Guard members are trained professionals, many of whom have supported federal law enforcement actions in Washington D.C. and are now ready to support their home state.
He revealed that the deployed National Guard members will be in uniform on the streets, collaborating with the Louisiana police NOLA Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.
A spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department, Officer Reese Harper, welcomed the National Guard’s arrival, seeing them as a force multiplier in supporting local public safety efforts. This partnership is expected to help make the community safer.
However, there are still some voices of skepticism regarding Trump’s deployment. Mayor-elect Helena Moreno strongly opposes the deployment of National Guard troops to combat crime in New Orleans.
In a statement in September, she pointed out that crime and violence in New Orleans have been decreasing at unprecedented rates. She also criticized the politicization of public safety issues.
According to preliminary data from the city’s police department and the crime trends in New Orleans this year, crime rates have been decreasing. As of November 1, there have been 97 recorded homicides in 2025, including the deaths of 15 people in the Bourbon Street truck attack on New Year’s Day.
At the time of the incident, a man drove a truck through a police barricade and into a crowd, before being shot by police. An Islamic State flag was found in the vehicle.
There were 124 homicides in 2024 and 193 in 2023. Armed robberies, aggravated assaults, carjackings, shootings, and property crimes have also been on the decline. For most of this year, New Orleans has been moving towards the lowest number of murders in decades.
Meanwhile, the Border Patrol has been conducting operations to combat illegal immigration since the beginning of this month. The Department of Homeland Security stated that the operation is expected to last for several months, aiming to arrest 5,000 people, with hundreds already arrested in the past few weeks.