National Guard deploys to New Orleans
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National Guards troops patrol Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras earlier this year. Photo: Sandy Huffaker/AFP via Getty Images
The National Guard is deploying to New Orleans in the latest of President Trump's moves to send federal troops to back up local law enforcement across the country.
The latest: The deployment of 350 troops will begin in time for the new year and last through February, Gov. Jeff Landry (R) announced Tuesday during an appearance on Fox News.
The big picture: The National Guard's arrival in New Orleans comes as the city marks the first anniversary of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack that killed 14 people.
- That attack, which was quickly followed by New Orleans hosting the Super Bowl and the city's Mardi Gras festivities, prompted a weeks-long similar deployment.
- With the return of the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl and the arrest of a New Iberia man whom the FBI said was planning a New Orleans attack, authorities have asked federal approval on an increased security rating, Fox 8 reports.
- Still, local leaders have been quick to note that violent crime rates remain significantly down. New Orleans' murder rate, for example, is on track this year to be at its lowest since the 1970s.
State of play: In a shift from similar deployments elsewhere, Landry proactively requested that National Guard troops be used in Louisiana to back up local enforcement.
- Trump has appeared to use the National Guard to rattle Democrat-led cities.
- Landry's initial September request did name Democrat-led New Orleans, but it also asked for support in two Republican-led cities — Shreveport and Baton Rouge — which have struggled with violent crime rates this year.
- But Tuesday's announced deployment does not include those other cities, Louisiana National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Noel Collins says.
The intrigue: It's unclear why months passed since Landry's initial National Guard request without an OK from the Trump administration, especially given the pair's longstanding friendship.
- A recent appointment for Landry to serve as an envoy to Greenland, however, indicates the two remain close.
Between the lines: Landry could have approved the use of Louisiana National Guard in local cities at any time — but then the state, rather than the federal government, would have had to pay the bills.