Memphis ICE Raid: Everything We Know As Group Says More Than 100 Detained

Early Sunday morning, around 1 a.m., federal immigration authorities conducted a large-scale enforcement operation in Memphis. The operation, carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in collaboration with other agencies, reportedly resulted in the detention of over 100 individuals at El Corralón, a local bar situated on Macon Road in the Berclair neighborhood.

The advocacy group Vecindarios901 stated that federal agents transported the detained individuals on buses, although the exact figure has not been independently verified. ICE confirmed the operation but provided limited details, citing an ongoing investigation. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation executed search warrants at a business on Macon Road as part of the same investigation.

Vecindarios901 believes this to be the largest immigration raid in Memphis history. The Memphis Police Department (MPD) stated that they were not involved in planning or executing the operation, only providing assistance with traffic and crowd control. Mayor Paul Young described the operation as "unsettling" for community members, emphasizing that the impacted individuals are part of the Memphis community and deserve to be treated with dignity.

Witnesses reported emotional scenes, with children crying for their parents and pleading for their release. The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition expressed shock and concern over the sudden and violent roundup of community members, especially in the middle of the night. Some local businesses have pledged to refuse service to members of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a multi-agency crime initiative, in response to the operation.

Protesters gathered in opposition to the local ICE operation, and questions about the scope of the operation and the status of those detained remain unanswered.