FILE PHOTO: Members of the National Guard patrol weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an increased presence of federal law enforcement to assist in crime prevention, in Washington, D.C. U.S., September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A U.S. flag flutters outside Shreveport's Mayor Tom Arceneaux's office in Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S., September 4, 2025. REUTERS/Kathleen Flynn/File Photo

(Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration has drafted a proposal to deploy 1,000 Louisiana National Guard troops to conduct law enforcement operations in the state's urban centers, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing Pentagon planning documents it obtained.

Trump has made crime a major focus of his administration even as violent crime rates have fallen in many U.S. cities. His crackdown on Democratic-led municipalities has fueled legal concerns and spurred protests, including a demonstration by several thousand people in Washington D.C. last weekend.

Democratic leaders have said that the massive deployments are more a show of power by Trump, rather than a serious effort to fight crime.

More than a dozen residents of Shreveport, Louisiana, told Reuters they viewed any deployment as more of a political stunt than a serious crime-fighting solution, and a way for Trump to blunt criticism that he's only targeting Democratic-controlled cities and states.

A Pentagon spokesperson did not comment in detail on the documents but a spokesperson said "Leaked documents should not be interpreted as policy. We will not discuss these plans through leaked documents, pre-decisional or otherwise.”

The planning documents, according to the Post, state that the plan would allow the military to supplement law enforcement in cities such as New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

The Pentagon's plan outlines a mobilization lasting until September 30, 2026, though no start date was specified in the documents.

Among the documents is an unsigned, undated draft memo from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, which highlights the "unique advantage" of the Pentagon's proposed approach to law enforcement in Louisiana, according to the Post.

The proposal, which hinges upon a request from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, who, like Trump, is a Republican, has not been confirmed as approved by federal or state officials, the Post reported.

The Pentagon's Louisiana plan suggests a robust operation is under consideration, with National Guard personnel "supplementing" the law enforcement presence in high-crime neighborhoods. They could also help with drug interdiction and by providing "logistical and communications support" to local authorities, according to the Washington Post report.

On Friday, Trump said he would send National Guard troops to Memphis, Tennessee.

(Reporting by Bipasha Dey in Bengaluru; Editing by Sharon Singleton, Joe Bavier and Aurora Ellis)