MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Multiple Shelby County leaders, including Mayor Lee Harris and Councilmembers J.B. Smiley and Erika Sugarmon, filed a lawsuit against Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Oct. 17, 2025, concerning the deployment of National Guard troops in the City of Memphis .

On Monday, Nov. 17, a Tennessee judge ruled on that suit and issued an injunction temporarily blocking the National Guard's ongoing deployment in the Bluff City.

In their 24-page complaint, county leaders requested a temporary injunction to halt the deployment of troops for law enforcement purposes. The filing cites Article Three of the Tennessee Constitution, which states, “the Militia shall not be called into service except in case of rebellion or invasion, and then only when the General Assembly shall declare, by law

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