White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told Memphis law enforcement officials Wednesday that the days of gangbangers controlling parts of the city are over. “The idea that there is a square inch of block in this city where a citizen doesn’t feel safe is unacceptable,” Miller said. “This is Memphis. This is the United States of America, and all that bullshit is done! It’s over, it’s finished!”

Miller joined Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in addressing Memphis Safe Task Force officials at the Shelby County Operations Center. President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order last month to establish the task force, aiming to restore law and order in the crime-ridden city.

FBI data reveals Memphis had the highest rate of violent crime per capita in 2024, including elevated rates of murder, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft, according to Trump’s memorandum. The president ordered 13 state and federal law enforcement agencies to deploy to Memphis to combat crime.

The Memphis Safe Task Force began operations on Monday, with 53 arrests and 20 illegal firearms seized by Wednesday afternoon, per the attorney general. Bondi pledged support for law enforcement, vowing to arrest anyone who harms officers. Hegseth emphasized the president’s focus on Memphis’s alarming crime data and his commitment to protecting residents.

Miller assured Memphis police that federal agencies would provide “unlimited support,” with agents joining officers on the streets nightly. He highlighted the presence of experts in dismantling criminal networks, stating, “We are going to win, they’re going to lose, and Memphis will be safer than ever before.”