Trump’s hyped national guard deployments did absolutely nothing to lower crime

US president Donald Trump’s much-hyped national guard deployments did nothing to lower crime rates. Canary readers will recall how Trump filled the streets of US cities with troops at the start of his second term.

A major centre-left US thinktank has now debunked any claims that the military presence lowered crime. And what’s more, the whole project has ripped off taxpayers to the tune of billions.

The Center for American Progress (CAP) warned in a new report:

The second Trump administration is trying to take credit for the historic drop in violent crime across America despite the fact that this trend began before it took office, and it is using these declines to justify expanding policies that are unpopular, ineffective, and costly.

However, CAP claims the data “clearly shows” violent crime and homicides were:

already dropping in American cities in 2023 and 2024.

Yet:

the Trump administration has continued to threaten city and state leaders and argue that its extreme actions, such as deploying the National Guard to support law enforcement operations, are improving public safety.

CAP reported:

analysis finds no evidence that National Guard deployments have reduced violent crime.

And they added that:

if these deployments are extended and continue through the end of 2026, they could cost American taxpayers more than $1.7 billion.

The authors were very blunt in their conclusions. Trump has no basis to make any claims his deployments worked as stated:

This analysis should give policymakers confidence to reject out of hand the Trump administration’s claims that its actions have materially improved public safety in these cities, call out its falsehoods, and demand better solutions for the American people.

Trump’s ICE are still killing people

And while the story has largely dropped out of international media, Trump’s immigration thugs are still killing people in the US.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reportedly killed a Colombian national in the north-eastern US state of Maine on 14 July. The BBC reported:

An ICE agent has fatally shot a Colombian national during an immigration enforcement operation in the US state of Maine.

The killing came only:

a week after the agency used deadly force against another migrant in a Texas traffic stop.

The authorities have not identified the man killed, but:

local lawmakers and neighbours have identified him as Joan Sebastian Guerrero.

The truth is Trump’s military deployments and increased ICE thug raids were never about security for the public. They were about militarising public spaces, hunting terrified migrants and rebuilding the US in Trump’s image: as a fearful place with a more obedient and, ultimately, whiter population.

Featured image via the Canary