Judge temporarily blocks continued deployment of National Guard in Memphis

Guard members have been patrolling the streets of Memphis since October.

Published: November 18, 2025 10:15am

A judge in Tennessee has temporarily blocked GOP Gov. Bill Lee from continuing to deploy the Tennessee National Guard in Memphis.

The order issued Monday by Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal states that the plaintiffs have shown a "likelihood of success" on the merits of their claims that the governor’s actions in calling the National Guard into the active service of the state to support the Memphis Safe Task Force violate the terms and conditions of Tennessee’s Military Code, according to local news outlet The Memphis Flyer.

Guard members have been patrolling the streets of Memphis since October under a directive from Lee, as part of a task force convened by the Trump administration in September.

The number of guards in the city reportedly ranges from roughly 200 to 700, but the numbers is expected to soon double.

The task force is made up of state and federal law enforcement officers working in conjunction with local law enforcement.