Louisiana Keeps 120 National Guard Troops in New Orleans Through August to Bolster Security

The Louisiana National Guard announced Monday that 120 troops will remain deployed in New Orleans through August as part of an extended effort to support public safety during a busy spring events season.

The extension follows a larger deployment of roughly 350 Guard members who arrived in late December ahead of New Year's and other high-profile events, including the Sugar Bowl. Those troops, who were largely concentrated in the city's historic French Quarter, had been expected to leave after Mardi Gras.

Separately, hundreds of federal agents also converged on the New Orleans area in December as part of an immigration enforcement operation; the Guard deployment and the federal immigration actions were distinct efforts.

President Donald Trump — speaking during his State of the Union address — called the New Orleans deployment a "big success," and has credited the presence with reducing violent crime within a week of the troops' arrival. City police data, however, show that violent crime in New Orleans has fallen significantly over the past three years, mirroring broader national trends, making it difficult to attribute long-term declines to the short-term Guard presence.

In a press release, the Louisiana National Guard said the remaining personnel will serve as a "visible presence to deter criminal activity in New Orleans."

New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat who initially opposed the deployment, said Monday the continued Guard presence will help the city in the coming weeks. She noted the Guard's assistance during last year's Mardi Gras response after a vehicle-ramming attack in the French Quarter on New Year's Day that left 14 people dead. "I continue to support the partnership with the LA National Guard to assist in our major events and there are several coming up in the next few weeks," Moreno said in a statement.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, a close ally of Trump, requested the original deployment last September, citing concerns about rising violent crime even as official figures indicate overall declines. On the social platform X, Landry wrote that "this continued deployment will help us combat violence in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana," and noted the state also sent Guard troops to Washington, D.C., last year.

Kate Kelly, a spokeswoman for Gov. Landry, said the federal government will cover the cost of the extended deployment. She did not answer when asked whether Guard members might be assigned outside New Orleans.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, said the troops have worked closely with city, state and federal partners to bolster public safety during a stretch of high-profile events, including the influx of visitors over Mardi Gras and the Carnival season. "We remain committed to those partnerships as we continue supporting efforts to keep the City of New Orleans safe for residents and visitors," Friloux said.

The extension keeps a visible, uniformed presence in the city as New Orleans heads into spring events such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The Guard's role, officials say, is deterrence and support rather than direct law enforcement operations.

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.