Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) this week asked the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops to the Pelican State.
Landry’s office, in a press release, said the governor submitted a request for federal assistance to the Defense Department, calling for up to 1,000 Louisiana National Guard personnel to be activated.
“Since taking office, we have made real progress in driving down crime across Louisiana — but the job is far from finished,” the governor wrote in the release, shared with The Hill’s sister network NewsNation.
“Federal partnerships in our toughest cities have worked, and now, with the support of President Trump and Secretary Hegseth, we are taking the next step by bringing in the National Guard,” he added. “This mission is about saving lives and protecting families.”
He added, “To the criminals terrorizing our communities: your time is up. Law and order are back in Louisiana.”
The request comes after President Trump deployed the National Guard to other cities to combat crime and quell anti-immigration enforcement protests — including during his most recent federal takeover of law enforcement in Washington, D.C., and the use of troops in Los Angeles earlier this year as the administration ramped up Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The move garnered backlash from local officials in both cities.
The Pentagon also recently confirmed a deployment of around 200 Oregon National Guard troops in the wake of Trump’s announcement that he would send troops to Portland. Officials in the state sued to block the effort.
In a separate press release Monday, Landry delivered a warning to immigrants living in the state without documentation. He also highlighted the “Louisiana Lockup” migrant detention facility located along the Mississippi River and surrounded by a swamp.
“Gang members, rapists, drug dealers, and human smugglers have no place in this country, and we are no longer giving them a free pass,” he wrote. “If you come to our country illegally and terrorize our people and community, Louisiana will be giving you a new address, Louisiana Lockup.”