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On Monday, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) sent a letter to the Department of Defense requesting federal assistance to “activate” up to 1,000 National Guard troops in the state’s “urban centers” through fiscal year 2026.

The deployment “would support state and federal law enforcement agencies in addressing ongoing public safety concerns regarding high crime rates,” Landry wrote in his letter.

The governor seeks to activate the National Guard on Title 32 status, which means the troops are under state control, but the federal government foots the bill for their pay and benefits.

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Elected officials and activists are speaking out against the potential military occupation of their state, and an emergency protest is planned for this evening in New Orleans.

“We don’t embrace the notion of having National Guardsmen with M-16s walking the streets of New Orleans, militarizing our communities and perhaps adding more insult to injury,” said Louisiana Rep. Troy Carter (D), as per The Daily........

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