Thousands of arrests by Trump's crime-fighting task force in Memphis
strain crowded jail and courts
[November 24, 2025]
By ADRIAN SAINZ
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A task force ordered by President Donald Trump to
combat crime in Memphis, Tennessee, has made thousands of arrests,
compounding strains on the busy local court system and an already
overcrowded jail in ways that concerned officials say will last months
or even years as cases play out.
Since late September, hundreds of federal, state and local law
enforcement personnel tied to the Memphis Safe Task Force have made
traffic stops, served warrants and searched for fugitives in the city of
about 610,000 people. More than 2,800 people have been arrested and more
than 28,000 traffic citations have been issued, data provided by the
task force and Memphis police shows.
The task force, which includes National Guard troops, is supported by
Republican Gov. Bill Lee and others who hope the surge reduces crime in
a city that has grappled with violent crime, including nearly 300
homicides last year and nearly 400 in 2023.
From 2018 to 2024, homicides in Memphis increased 33% and aggravated
assaults rose 41%, according to AH Datalytics, which tracks crimes
across the country using local law enforcement data for its Real-Time
Crime Index. But AH Datalytics reported those numbers were down 20%
during the first nine months of this year, even before the task force
got to work.
Opponents of the task force in majority-Black Memphis say it targets
minorities and intimidates law-abiding Latinos, some of whom have
skipped work and changed social habits, such as avoiding going to church
or restaurants, fearing they will be harassed and unfairly detained.
Statistics released at the end of October showed 319 arrests so far on
administrative warrants, which deal with immigration-related issues.
The effects have rippled beyond the streets, into the aging criminal
courthouse and the troubled jail. Officials are concerned about long
waits in traffic court causing people to miss work and packed criminal
court dockets forcing inmates to spend extra days waiting for bail
hearings.
“The human cost of it is astounding," said Josh Spickler, executive
director for Just City, a Memphis-based organization that advocates for
fairness in the criminal justice system.
The mayor of Shelby County, which includes Memphis, has requested more
judges to hear cases that could span months or years. County officials
are discussing opening court at night and on weekends, a move that would
help manage the caseload but cost more.
Meanwhile, Shelby County Jail inmates are being moved to other
facilities because of overcrowding, officials say. Inmates at jail
intake are sleeping in chairs, and jail officials are asking county
commissioners for funding to help address problems, such as a
corrections employees shortage.
These issues raise concerns from activists and officials about safety in
a jail that has seen 65 deaths since 2019, according to Just City. Court
case backlogs mean defendants and crime victims could spend an unfair
amount of time dealing with the criminal justice system, said Steve
Mulroy, the county's district attorney.
“The task force deployment probably could have used more planning,” said
Mulroy, a Democrat whose office is cooperating with the task force.
“More thought could have been put into the downstream effects of the
increased arrest numbers.”
Jail official asks for help
There were hundreds more jail bookings and bail settings during the
first several weeks of the task force’s operation than during the
comparable period last year, an increase of about 40% in each category,
according to county statistics.
The jail, which has a regular capacity of 2,400, had an average daily
population of 3,195 inmates in September, the most recent month when
statistics were available. County officials said that number was
expected to rise for October.
[to top of second column]
|
Federal law enforcement officers detain a man, right, Oct. 11, 2025,
in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
As of mid-November, 250 overflow jail detainees were being housed at
other facilities, compared with 80 in November 2024. Some of those
are outside Shelby County, which makes it harder for lawyers and
relatives to visit and increases the cost of bringing defendants to
Memphis for hearings.
In a letter to commissioners, Chief Jailer Kirk Fields has requested
at least $1.5 million in emergency funds, noting that more inmates
means more expenses for food, clothing, bedding and linens.
Help with the courts
One issue is whether there are enough judges to hear cases,
especially after lawmakers eliminated two judgeships during last
year's session.
On Oct. 31, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris wrote to state court
officials asking for additional judges, saying the county is
preparing for at least 3,500 to 5,000 people being arrested. More
arrests increase jail expenses and the possible hiring of more
public defenders, prosecutors and jail employees, he wrote.
“This places Shelby County in extreme financial peril,” Harris
wrote.
The Tennessee Supreme Court's response said that while lower court
judges reported more judges are not necessary at this time, it has
designated two senior judges to help should they be needed.
“Part of it is, understanding just what the cadence is going to look
like over the next few months and then developing a strategy,” the
governor said earlier this month, noting that the state is
monitoring the situation.
Some officials have proposed Saturday court sessions and night court
sessions two or three nights a week, Mulroy said. They've considered
having a clinic where people facing misdemeanor warrants could
surrender, to help clear those up.
Mulroy's office also is reevaluating whether detention is necessary
for people jailed in hundreds of low-level cases.
“If there’s no basis to think they’re a danger to the community or a
flight risk, and they’re in there just because they can’t afford
their bail, we can take a second look,” he wrote.
Task force says it's being effective
Ryan Guay, a U.S. Marshals Service and task force spokesperson, told
The Associated Press that the high volume of arrests reflects the
force’s effectiveness.
“We recognize that this success places additional demands on the
broader criminal justice system, including courts and detention
facilities,” Guay said.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has said that it is making a satellite
prison camp available to the task force. The bureau said the Shelby
County Sheriff’s Office would assume oversight of the facility. A
sheriff’s office spokesperson declined to comment on the camp’s
location, citing operational security.
___
Associated Press reporter Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New
Mexico, contributed.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
