National Guard stands down in Illinois while troops patrol in Memphis
with local police
[October 11, 2025]
By ADRIAN SAINZ and CHRISTINE FERNANDO
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — National Guard troops patrolled in Tennessee's
second-largest city for the first time Friday while soldiers in Illinois
were engaged only in planning and training after a judge handed a loss
to the Trump administration and blocked their deployment to the Chicago
area.
At least nine armed Guard members began their patrol at the Bass Pro
Shops located at the Pyramid, an iconic Memphis landmark, about a mile
(1.6 kilometers) from historic Beale Street and FedEx Forum, where the
NBA's Grizzlies play.
They also were at a nearby tourist welcome center along the Mississippi
River. Wearing Guard fatigues and protective vests labeled “military
police,” the troops were escorted by a local police officer and posed
for photos with visitors.
Meanwhile, in Illinois, Democratic U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy
Duckworth said they were barred from visiting an immigration enforcement
building near Chicago. For weeks it's been home to occasional clashes
between protesters and federal agents.
“What are you afraid of?” Duckworth told reporters, referring to the
government. “You don’t hide, you don’t run away when you’re proud of
what you’re doing.”
In Memphis, Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, said he never requested that
the Guard come to his city. But after President Donald Trump made the
Sept. 15 announcement and Republican Gov. Bill Lee agreed, Young and
others said they wanted the task force to focus on targeting violent
offenders rather than use their presence to scare, harass or intimidate
the general public.
Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said she hoped Guard personnel would
help direct traffic and have a presence in “retail corridors,” but not
be used to operate checkpoints or anything similar.
It was unclear how many Guard members were on the ground Friday or were
expected to arrive later. Lee previously said troops would not make
arrests and would not be armed unless local law enforcement officials
request it.
For years, Memphis, whose population exceeds 600,000, has dealt with
high violent crime, including assaults, carjackings and homicides. While
this year’s statistics show improvement in several categories, including
murders, many acknowledge that violence remains a problem.
Federal officials say hundreds of arrests and more than 2,800 traffic
citations have been made since a federal task force began operating in
Memphis on Sept. 29. Arrest categories include active warrants, drugs,
firearms and sex offenses, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Four
arrests have been made on homicide charges, the Marshals Service said.
Some residents said the Guard is not what Memphis needs.
“Totally useless, worthless, not called for because the money that
they’re gonna spend on that — if they would give it to us to let us do
improvements in our city,” said Loretta Davis, who emphasized that young
people need more options.
An ongoing legal battle
Friday's development comes after U.S. District Judge April Perry blocked
deployment of troops in the Chicago area for at least two weeks.
The on-again, off-again deployments stem from a political and legal
battle over Trump’s push to send the Guard to several U.S. cities. His
administration claims crime is rampant in those cities, despite
statistics not always supporting that.
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Members of National Guard patrol outside a Bass Pro Shops, Friday,
Oct. 10, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
If a president invokes the Insurrection Act, they can dispatch
active duty military in states that fail to put down an insurrection
or defy federal law. However, Perry said she found no substantial
evidence that a “danger of rebellion” is brewing in Illinois during
Trump’s immigration crackdown.
She followed up Friday with an opinion that cites a mix of law and
history, including the Federalist Papers, which were written in
1787-88 to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
“There has been no showing that the civil power has failed,” Perry
said. “The agitators who have violated the law by attacking federal
authorities have been arrested. The courts are open, and the
marshals are ready to see that any sentences of imprisonment are
carried out. Resort to the military to execute the laws is not
called for.”
The judge said there was significant evidence that federal agents
have been able to carry out their work, noting “huge increases in
arrests and deportations.”
The court order was a victory for Democratic officials who lead the
city and state and who have called the deployments unnecessary and
illegal.
The order is set to expire Oct. 23 at 11:59 p.m. Perry set an Oct.
22 hearing to determine if it should be extended for another 14
days. The federal government is appealing.
The 500 Guard members from Texas and Illinois were mostly based at a
U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, southwest of Chicago. A small
number were sent to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
building in Broadview, the site were Durbin and Duckworth tried to
visit.
Lt. Cmdr. Theresa Meadows, a spokeswoman for U.S. Northern Command,
said soldiers were conducting planning and training in Illinois but
no “operational activities,” following the court order.
Deployment in Portland remains on hold
A federal appeals court heard arguments Thursday over whether Trump
had the authority to take control of 200 Oregon Guard troops. The
president had planned to deploy them in Portland, where there have
been small nightly protests outside an ICE building.
A judge last Sunday granted a temporary restraining order blocking
the move. Trump had mobilized California troops for Portland just
hours after the judge first blocked him from using Oregon’s Guard.
___
Fernando reported from Broadview, Illinois. Associated Press writers
Ed White in Detroit, Konstantin Toropin in Washington, and Scott
Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin, contributed to this report.
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