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Last week, Donald Trump’s Department of Justice announced a new grant program that could have disastrous consequences for cities across the country. Up to four cities will split a grant of $300 million to back aggressive surges in policing modeled on the Memphis Safe Task Force, an invasion of National Guard troops and federal forces that has left our city reeling from state violence and economic fallout. Over the past year, organizers have worked tirelessly to fight back and build networks of mutual support on the ground in Memphis, Tennessee. Yet instead of scaling back federal operations as it did in Minneapolis and Chicago, the Trump administration now appears committed to deepening and expanding the disastrous model it has tested here.

The Memphis Safe Task Force was formed through a presidential memorandum on September 15, 2025, but before it was officially established, rumors were already spreading throughout Memphis about Trump potentially sending in the National Guard and what that would look like. We saw in real time the fear and concern people had of a possible federal occupation. With little information shared by local media, misinformation began spreading like wildfire. In desperation, I called Memphis Mayor Paul Young myself to confirm the correct information and help ease people’s anxiety.

Local elected officials also began speaking in opposition to the National Guard’s imminent descent on Memphis. These included State Rep. Torrey Harris, who sent a letter to Gov. Bill Lee on September 10, and City Council members JB Smiley Jr. and Jerri Green, who made statements opposing the National Guard’s deployment and held a press conference with community partners.

At one point it felt like the beginning of the COVID outbreak all over again, with folks sharing and resharing long text messages with details that had not yet been confirmed and spreading rumors that road blocks would be set up in the city.

We started seeing Trump and other White House officials in the news talk about bringing the National Guard to Memphis on September 10. At the time, Governor Lee had not requested the National Guard and, when asked about it, stated he did not think it was necessary. But just a week later, he stood in the White House with Trump and signed a memorandum to form the Memphis Safe Task Force. Lee then ordered units of the Tennessee National Guard to join the Memphis task force.

Tyrin Johnson Is Dead. Memphis Is Occupied. This Is Militarized “Public Safety.”

After the announcement of the task force, local organizers and groups in Memphis immediately began rapid-response efforts, launching the “Free the 901” campaign on September 18, with more than 20 local and statewide organizations. Our goal was to provide real-time updates to our community, education on what the National Guard was and what the task........

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