Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
Approximately 1/5 of the arrests made by the Memphis Safe Task Force that was ordered by President Donald Trump are immigration related. Earlier this week, Governor Bill Lee said that the progress made so far has been “encouraging.”
Known as the “Memphis surge,” the task force utilizes several law enforcement agencies working in tandem. The more than 30 agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ICE, Memphis Police Department, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are led by the U.S. Marshals Service.
The operation is responsible for 850 arrests, with 175 firearms being confiscated. Additionally, 44 children have been found that were reported missing.
In a news conference with Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch, and Memphis Mayor Paul Young, Lee stated that immigration enforcement was not the top priority as the task force was mainly focused on violent crime.
The U.S. Marshals Service has said that of the 850 arrests made so far, 168 were “administrative” in nature, which means they were Title 8 immigration detainees. In addition, 6 were homicide charges, 87 for narcotics, 98 for illegal possession of firearms, 36 on sex offenses, and 320 were outstanding warrants.
According to the Trump administration, Memphis had the highest violent crime rate in the United States last year, the highest property crime rate, and also the third-highest murder rate.
Lee and Young both welcomed the Trump administration’s actions. Memphis has 10,000 felony warrants that are active.
Local reports suggest that illegal immigrants are running scared since the surge began.
Immigrant Pantry, an outreach begun as an offshoot of Indivisible Memphis since July, says demand for boxes of groceries has increased sharply since the task force hit the streets of the city two weeks ago. The organization is now delivering approximately eight boxes a week to families who are afraid to leave their homes.
As part of the surge, ICE officers are accompanying local law enforcement of routine traffic stops and taking immigrants without permanent legal status into custody.
Lee said that the traffic stops are justified considering that the streets of Memphis have dealt with reckless drivers, both unlicensed or uninsured, illegal street racing, and stolen vehicles, among other issues for a long time.
Lee expressed hope that the collaboration between the multiple agencies will continue on an ongoing basis “forever.”
Sources:
https://www.courthousenews.com/immigration-detainees-make-up-one-fifth-of-arrests-in-memphis-surge
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
