MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi met with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in Memphis on Wednesday, shortly after a task force of federal law enforcement agencies ordered by President Donald Trump began operating in the city.
Video from a media pool showed Hegseth arriving by plane and shaking hands with Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who has supported the law enforcement surge. Bondi was also present.
Bondi stated in a social media post that the Memphis Safe Task Force has already made over 50 arrests within the initial two days. The agents, comprising personnel from immigration and drug enforcement, have started serving criminal arrest warrants while collaborating with state organizations like the Tennessee Highway Patrol to conduct traffic stops on interstates and state roads. More than 200 officers have been deputized as part of this initiative.
The task force is a segment of a larger strategy by President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops and surge federal law enforcement resources in American cities, particularly those run by Democrats.
Trump has deemed the operation necessary to combat rising crime rates and has criticized Democrats for their crime and immigration policies. This deployment follows similar actions that have occurred in cities like Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, where Trump labeled cities like Portland as war-ravaged and threatened an apocalyptic force against crime in Chicago.
Mobile command centers for the U.S. Marshals Service and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have been established. Ryan Guay, a Deputy U.S. Marshal, mentioned that these resources aim to enhance warrant enforcement activity, focusing specifically on violent offenders threatening public safety.
Although Gov. Lee has indicated that he expects no more than 150 National Guard members to be sent to Memphis, he noted that this number has yet to be finalized. He has assured that there will be no tanks used, and guard troops will only make arrests if local authorities request assistance.
Despite Memphians experiencing high rates of violent crimes like carjackings and homicides in recent years, both political parties have acknowledged reductions in certain crime categories this year.
Opponents of the federal troop deployment argue that it represents an unnecessary invasion of local sovereignty in a predominantly Black city, advocating instead for resources to mitigate poverty and other root causes of crime. Conversely, supporters acknowledge the need for supplemental law enforcement efforts.
As similar operations unfold across states like Oregon and Illinois, concerns regarding the federal emphasis on enhanced law enforcement continue to provoke discussion about local governance and the balance of power.
