US President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum to send the National Guard into Memphis to combat crime, setting up another major test of the limits of presidential power by using military force in American cities.

Mr Trump named it the Memphis Safe Task Force and said it was part of a broader initiative needed to combat urban violence.

The initiative will deploy a broad coalition of federal agencies — including the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and US Marshals — alongside the National Guard and local law enforcement.

The president said Attorney-General Pam Bondi would lead the operation.

"Memphis [has] the highest violent crime rate, the highest property crime rate and the third-highest murder rate of any city in the nation," he said o

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