Some Red States Are Trying to Take Control of Their Blue Cities
Trump’s federal takeover of D.C. was just one example of Republicans curbing local autonomy under the banner of public safety.
After 30 days, President Donald Trump's federal takeover of Washington, D.C., has ended. But the use of federal troops in policing American cities could just be starting.
On Tuesday, the president said he was finalizing negotiations with a Republican-run state for a potential deployment. "We're working it out with the governor of a certain state that would love us to be there, and the mayor of a certain city in that same state," Trump told reporters. "We'll announce it probably tomorrow." While no location has been announced, the president's next destination could be New Orleans, Louisiana, given that he floated the idea of deploying the National Guard to the city last week.
If this is the course of action that Trump decides to take, the National Guard will join ranks with Troop NOLA, a specialized police force established in 2024 by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. Since its creation, the initiative has played a central role in Landry's wider crime crackdown, making roughly 500 arrests, confiscating nearly 200 illegal firearms, and recovering over 50 stolen cars, according to Fox 8. The governor also used his emergency powers to deploy Troop NOLA officers to the French Quarter following a deadly attack on January 1, framing the move as necessary for law and order.
This dynamic isn't unique to Louisiana; several Republican-led states have similarly moved to expand state control into Democratic-run cities, often citing concerns over crime and public safety. In Mississippi, a similar pattern has taken shape. In recent years, the Capitol Police force in Jackson has undergone major expansion, growing to 148 officers—the Jackson Police Department has 258—and patrolling roughly 24 of the city's 114 square miles. While The Washington Post reports that some city residents have welcomed this police presence, critics have maintained that heightened law enforcement has led to a spike in police abuses—including several high-profile cases in which Capitol Police officers have been charged with manslaughter and civil rights violations.
In addition to boosting law enforcement presence, Mississippi's state government has also taken steps to bypass local control over the judiciary by establishing a separate state-run court in Jackson. The court, which opened in January with over $730,000 in taxpayer dollars for FY 2025, will "adjudicate misdemeanor offenses and traffic citations investigated by the State Capitol Police," reports the Clarion Ledger. It will also oversee initial felony offenses introduced by the Capitol Police. The prosecutor and judges of this court are appointed by state-level officials rather than through local elections.
Those who support the court have argued the move was necessary, in order "to address a spike in crime and Jackson's court backlogs," according to The Washington Post. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves called it "another major addition to ensuring law and order in our capital city."
But Mississippi and Louisiana aren't alone. In Missouri, Georgia, and Indiana, Republican-led legislatures have moved to seize control of local policing and prosecutors—often targeting Democratic jurisdictions under the banner of crime control. Critics say it marks a broader shift from limiting government to consolidating it. And in many cases, they argue, this decision isn't about improving governance but about maintaining political control.
Whether Trump will enact a federal intervention in another U.S. city remains uncertain. Such a move would deepen a trend already underway in many Republican-led states—curbing local autonomy under the banner of public safety.
