US President Donald Trump has announced the creation of a Memphis Safe Task Force, modelled after the recent federal law enforcement surge in Washington, DC, as part of a broader initiative he said was needed to combat urban violence.

Trump added he plans to take similar action in Chicago next.

The initiative will bring together a coalition of federal agencies including the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and US Marshals, alongside the National Guard and local police. Attorney General Pam Bondi will lead the operation, according to Trump.

"Memphis had the highest violent crime rate, the highest property crime rate and the third-highest murder rate of any city in the nation," Trump said at the White House.

A spokesperson for the City of Memphis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The president’s decision to deploy federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to Washington and now Memphis has drawn criticism from Democratic leaders and civil rights groups, who argue the move is more political theatre than a genuine public safety strategy.

Trump and Republican allies have increasingly positioned crime as a central theme of their political messaging ahead of elections, framing Democrats as weak on public safety.

The White House described the deployments as a response to what it called a national emergency over violent crime.

Trump issued a memorandum establishing the task force and said similar actions were being considered for other cities.

"We think Chicago is going to be next, and we'll get to St. Louis, and New Orleans we want to get into, too," Trump said.