National Guard exits New Orleans as federal surge winds down
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National Guard troops patrolled the French Quarter during Mardi Gras 2026. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios
The Louisiana National Guard leaves New Orleans this weekend.
Why it matters: The departure ends two months of heightened federal law enforcement presence in the city, sparked by Gov. Jeff Landry's request and backed by President Trump.
The big picture: About 350 National Guard soldiers have been deployed in the city since the end of December.
- They arrived just before the Sugar Bowl and the anniversary of the New Year's Day terrorist attack and have been most visible in the French Quarter.
- Border Patrol was also sent to the city for federal immigration enforcement, but that operation appears to have wound down.
Catch up quick: Landry in September asked the president to send the National Guard to New Orleans and elsewhere in Louisiana to combat crime.
- The request came amid deployments in Portland, Memphis and Washington, D.C.
- Landry has the power to deploy the Louisiana National Guard, but it would come from the state budget. If it is at Trump's orders, the feds pay.
Flashback: It was the second time the Republican governor has asked for substantive changes in policing New Orleans, a Democratic-led city.
- When he became governor in 2024, he created a separate Louisiana State Police troop for New Orleans.
How it works: The Louisiana National Guard, in a statement, said its "impact on crime is primarily as a force multiplier, enabling law enforcement to make arrests."
- The statement says soldiers can help prevent petty crimes and fights by their mere presence, even if that "may not be accounted for in quantifiable data."
Zoom in: NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, in a statement, said she "welcomes the assistance of our local, state and federal law enforcement partners" in keeping residents and visitors safe.
- NOPD said it doesn't currently have stats about the measurable impact of the guard's presence, but said the guard "provided valuable public safety volume and visibility" in the Quarter during New Year's and Mardi Gras.
- In a statement to Axios, Mayor Helena Moreno thanked the troops and focused on deploying for specific events.
- "The National Guard is useful, as I've said before, for deployment during Mardi Gras or other large-scale events," Moreno said. "This is what the National Guard is supposed to do."
The friction point: Trump and Moreno last month gave different accounts of the guard's impact.
- They met in Washington, D.C., and Trump said Moreno "thanked me so much" and said crime was down more than 50% "in just a few weeks."
- But Moreno, in an Instagram video, said she focused on "our efforts really over the past year and a half" that have led to a 50-year low in the homicide rate.
What's next: The guard may be leaving, but federal law enforcement isn't.
- Federal agencies like the FBI and Homeland Security still have offices in New Orleans, and many work together regularly.
Case in point: Operation NOLA Safe is a joint task force to combat violent crime, particularly cartels and the trafficking of drugs, guns and people.
- It started last month and will be here "for the long haul," says Matt Wright, the acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in the region.