'We're Here to Unleash You,' Hegseth Tells Force in Memphis

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and White House aide Stephen Miller went to Memphis on Wednesday to encourage the federal force sent there by President Trump. "We're not here to second guess you," Hegseth told a group of federal, state and local law enforcement officers and Tennessee National Guard members who Trump said are deployed to fight crime, the AP reports. "We're here to have your back—to unleash you to do your jobs so you come home safely." Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents Memphis, criticized the "wartime rhetoric." The situation involves:

• The force: More than 200 officers have been deputized, including immigration and drug enforcement personnel. They are serving criminal arrest warrants and teaming with state agencies on traffic stops. Tennessee National Guard troops will help Memphis police, Republican Gov. Bill Lee has said, but it is unclear when that will begin. He's also said troops will not make arrests or be armed unless local authorities request it.
• Arrests: Bondi posted early in the day that the task force had made 53 arrests and seized 20 illegal guns over a two-day period, per WSMV.
• Miller rallies troops: Miller told the task force that their job is an "all of government, unlimited support operation" that would make the city "safer than any of you could ever possibly imagine." The result, Trump's aide said, will be that "businesses and investment are going to pour in, and Memphis will be richer than ever before."

• Democratic response: Cohen told Hegseth and Bondi in a letter that he was disappointed they didn't tell him they were coming and urged them to be more collaborative, per the AP. "Memphians are not enemies; they are Americans," Cohen said. "They are entitled to constitutional rights, not their government working to 'intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill' them. We are not a training ground or target practice."
• Crime in the city: Although Memphis has dealt with high numbers of violent crimes such as carjackings and homicides in recent years, officials of both parties have noted that crime is dropping in certain categories. Opponents of the deployment say it is an unnecessary federal occupation of a majority-Black city that instead needs more funding to address poverty and other drivers of crime. Supporters of the deployment see it as a welcomed infusion of law enforcement for a city that still needs help battling violence. Hegseth told the officers that Trump is monitoring the numbers, per the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "From the top, to right here," he said, Trump "is paying attention to the data."