Almost 900 ICE Arrests Made Since Launch Of Memphis Safe Task Force

Image Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Facebook & Canva

Tennessee Conservative News [By Olivia Lupia] –

A new analysis of federal deportation data has revealed nearly 900 ICE arrests have been recorded in Shelby County since the launch of the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), with about 60% of those arrests leading to deportation.

While the MSTF has reached over 10,000 arrests as part of its ongoing operations, data subsets show a significant number of those arrests have been specific to immigration enforcement. 

The analysis of the deportation data covers September 29, 2025, the first official day of the MSTF, through April 1, 2026, and was compiled through records from the Deportation Data project, a database maintained by UC Berkeley School of Law and UCLA using records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. 

During that period, 891 ICE arrests were recorded in Shelby County, and of those, 536 ended in deportation. And roughly 42% of those arrested had two pending criminal charges. 

Following a surge in ICE arrests in the final three months of 2025, the data appears to show a significant decline in ICE activity in Memphis during the first quarter of 2026, though arrests still continued. 

And while ICE continues to operate alongside the MSTF, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is actively hiring 32 agents for the “Tennessee Safe Initiative” task force, which was created by legislation earlier this year sponsored by Republican State Sen. Brent Taylor. The new state law took effect July 1 establishing the task force which will decide when and where Tennessee launches extra law enforcement operations. 

The task force will “identify areas with prevalent criminal activity that endangers public safety and require additional law enforcement operations,” even without a request from the local District Attorney. 

The task force will consist of eight voting members, including the TBI director, the commissioner of safety, and representatives from district attorneys general, sheriffs, and chiefs of police, with staggered terms and provisions for filling vacancies.

Additionally, the bill authorizes TBI Safe Initiative investigators to work independently in judicial districts where the MSTF is operating, focusing on violent crimes and criminal gang activities, and allows for the exchange of agents with other law enforcement agencies and states.

According to Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, who has decidedly liberal leanings, the TBI Safe Initiative Task Force has decided its first deployment and mission will be in Shelby County, though he said he ultimately doesn’t object to the additional law enforcement presence in a “cooperative manner”, which appears to be a different opinion than his prior sentiments about the MSTF. 

While it is unlikely the TBI will deploy all 32 of the new agents to Memphis, the agency is actively recruiting and will host a virtual recruitment fair in Memphis on July 29^th according to a Facebook post.  

About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.