Trump STRIPS Federal Protection From Violence-Plagued Towns

A man in a suit gesturing during a speech

Trump’s cuts to over $800 million in community violence prevention funding have left Louisiana towns like Bogalusa defenseless against surging gun violence, forcing communities back to square one despite previous progress in reducing homicides.

Story Overview

Trump administration eliminated $820 million in community violence intervention grants in April 2025
Bogalusa, Louisiana faces renewed gun violence threats after losing federal prevention funding
National Guard deployment announced for New Orleans but ignores root causes of violence
Louisiana’s permitless carry law compounds public safety concerns in high-crime areas

Federal Funding Cuts Devastate Prevention Programs

The Trump administration’s decision to rescind $820 million in community violence intervention grants has left Louisiana communities vulnerable to renewed gun violence. These cuts, announced in April 2025, eliminated 373 federal grants that supported local prevention efforts across the nation. Bogalusa, a town of 10,000 residents with a poverty rate affecting one in three families, exemplifies how these funding losses impact vulnerable communities struggling with persistent violence.

Bogalusa’s Crime Reality Despite Recent Progress

Bogalusa recorded a violent gun crime rate of 646.1 per 100,000 residents in 2022, more than double the national average. While the town saw homicides drop to just two in 2024, experts warn that losing federal prevention funding could reverse this progress. The community’s struggles stem from deep-rooted poverty and limited economic opportunities, conditions that federal grants were designed to address through job training and intervention programs.

National Guard Deployment Addresses Symptoms, Not Causes

President Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to New Orleans and other Louisiana cities before Christmas 2025, responding to Governor Jeff Landry’s request for up to 1,000 federal troops. However, critics argue this military approach fails to address underlying causes of violence that prevention programs once tackled. The deployment follows similar patterns from Trump’s previous term, emphasizing law enforcement over community-based solutions that had shown measurable results in reducing crime rates.

Louisiana’s 2024 repeal of concealed carry permit requirements has complicated public safety efforts in high-crime areas. Research indicates that permitless carry laws typically increase homicide rates, creating additional challenges for communities already struggling with violence. This policy shift, combined with federal funding cuts, represents a significant departure from evidence-based approaches to reducing gun violence in vulnerable neighborhoods.

Constitutional Principles Versus Federal Overreach

While Second Amendment advocates celebrate the removal of burdensome federal regulations and permit requirements, the situation in Louisiana highlights tensions between constitutional rights and public safety. Trump’s approach prioritizes individual liberty and local control while eliminating federal programs that many viewed as government overreach. The administration’s shift from prevention funding to law enforcement support aligns with conservative principles of limited federal intervention in local affairs, though critics argue this leaves communities without adequate resources to address violence proactively.

The contrast between federal cuts and military deployment illustrates broader debates about effective governance and constitutional authority. Conservative supporters argue that local communities should bear primary responsibility for addressing violence without depending on federal grant programs that created dependency and bureaucratic inefficiency.