U.S. Secretary Of War Sending Additional Lawyers To Aid Department Of Justice In Memphis Safe Task Force

Image Credit: @PeteHegseth / X & Canva

The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to send dozens of lawyers to the Justice Department for temporary assignment in Memphis to help aid in immigration enforcement efforts included in the Memphis Safe Task Force.

“I am directing you to collectively identify 48 attorneys and 4 paralegals from within your Military Department who may be suitable for detail,” wrote Hegseth in a memo obtained by the Associated Press last week.

The document was sent to all four military service branches and the Joint Chiefs of Staff, asking them to identify candidates willing to transfer from the Pentagon to the Justice Department to act as special assistant U.S. attorneys for assignments that could run through fall of 2026.

Twenty of the specially assigned military and civilian attorneys will head to Memphis to help with increased loads resulting from the activities and operations of the Memphis Safe Task Force, which includes deployment of the National Guard, while the remainder will be staffing offices based along the U.S. southern border in Texas and New Mexico as federal immigration enforcement operations continue to increase. 

The memo does not specify what kind of litigation the lawyers would perform but does say that in addition to general prosecution experience, ideally the attorneys would also have “significant experience” in immigration and administration law. 

In a separate effort last month, the Pentagon approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the DOJ to serve as temporary immigration judges as a boost in accelerating deportations. It is likely the attorneys sent to Memphis could have similar functions.

“The Department is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our law enforcement partners, bringing the skill and dedication of America’s service members to deliver justice, restore order, and protect the American people,” the Pentagon said in a statement.

Hegseth, who is a Sumner County resident, also notified Gov. Bill Lee in a September letter that the Department of Defense is prepared to authorize and fund up to 1,000 Tennessee National Guard personnel to work with the Memphis Safe Task Force through September 2026.

“Tennessee, particularly in Memphis, is currently facing a convergence of public safety threats that exceed the capacity of local law enforcement agencies,” the letter read. It’s unlikely Gov. Lee would refuse this proposal as he has often stated he has no intentions of disbanding the task force any time soon and recently said he believes the crime-fighting surge should “last forever”. 

The results of the task force are unquestionable as data from the city shows serious crime is down 46% since September, and the law enforcement surge has resulted in over 1,700 arrests for various crimes with the recovery of 84 missing children. A recent arrest of note was that of a suspect wanted for child rape who was apprehended after a coordinated operation and raid on Oct. 30. 

Derrick Cole, 46, was wanted on numerous charges, several of them felonies, including rape by an authority figure, sexual battery by an authority figure, continuous sexual abuse of a child, incest, and criminal exposure to HIV. Court records show Cole had been wanted for over a year after a grand jury indictment in August of 2024.

Immigration enforcement efforts have been one of many focuses by the Memphis Safe Task Force with ICE and DHS having an active presence as part of 13 different law enforcement agencies under the coordination of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Unsurprisingly, the increase in federal immigration officers and local law enforcement partners has been consistently torched by Democrat officials and immigrant advocacy groups who are claiming the Hispanic and Latino communities are being unfairly targeted.

Community advocates claim hundreds of immigrants, including legal residents, have been “rounded up” by ICE, though there has been no confirmation of any legal citizens being detained.

The task force estimates roughly 20% of their arrests have been immigration-related, with the apprehension of criminal illegal aliens on charges including pedophilia, rape, domestic abuse, drug trafficking, and gang activities.

The Democrat mayors of both Memphis and Shelby County have concurred with these accusations, agreeing there is “fear and terror” in the Hispanic community. 

Memphis Mayor Paul Young recently admitting he is encouraging local police to cooperate with ICE in hopes it will steer the federal department away from immigration efforts and supports a local activist group that tracks and reports on the whereabouts of ICE officers in the city.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has gone a step further, signing onto a lawsuit against the state which seeks to halt the deployment of the National Guard, claiming it violates the Tennessee constitution. The injunction request has a preliminary hearing set for Nov. 3.

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.