Court rejects restraining order request regarding Tennessee National Guard deployment to Memphis

A chancery court in Tennessee on Monday denied Memphis Mayor Lee Harris' request for a temporary restraining order that would halt deployment of Tennessee National Guard troops to his city.

President Donald Trump announced last month that he would be deploying the National Guard and a federal task force to Memphis, citing the city's crime statistics, and the troops began arriving in the Tennessee city earlier this month. 

Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal determined that the plaintiffs did not clearly demonstrate that an immediate and irreparable harm would result from the deployment before a full hearing.

Harris' attorneys had argued that Tennessee GOP Gov. Bill Lee's deployment of troops violated state law and the Tennessee Constitution, but Lee's office said the state's National Guard is under the governor's purview. 

"The Tennessee National Guard is the state’s army under Tennessee law," his office told Action News 5. "As the commander-in-chief, Gov. Lee has the authority to authorize the Title 32 strategic mission to Memphis.

"Every Memphian deserves to feel safe in their community, and through state, local, and federal partnerships, the Memphis Safe Task Force has created a generational opportunity that is already delivering remarkable results to enhance public safety," the office continued. "We are confident the court will uphold the Governor’s constitutional authority."

The deployment comes as Memphis has the highest violent crime rate per capita in the nation.

Moskal has set a temporary injunction hearing on the deployment for Monday, November 3 at 1:30 p.m. in Nashville.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.