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In Memphis, Tennessee, a federal initiative spearheaded by President Donald Trump has led to thousands of arrests, intensifying pressures on the city’s already overburdened court system and overcrowded jails. Officials express concern that the consequences of this crackdown may persist for months or even years as the legal process unfolds.
Since late September, the Memphis Safe Task Force, comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, has been active in the city, conducting traffic stops, executing warrants, and apprehending fugitives. Memphis, with a population of approximately 610,000, has witnessed over 2,800 arrests and more than 28,000 traffic citations, according to data from the task force and local police.
The initiative, which includes the assistance of National Guard troops, has garnered support from Republican Governor Bill Lee and others who hope it will curb crime in a city plagued by violence. Memphis recorded nearly 300 homicides last year and is nearing 400 in 2023.
Between 2018 and 2024, the city experienced a 33% rise in homicides and a 41% increase in aggravated assaults, according to AH Datalytics, an organization that uses local law enforcement data to monitor crime across the United States. However, AH Datalytics noted a 20% decline in these figures during the first nine months of this year, even before the task force’s interventions.
Critics argue that the task force unfairly targets minority communities in Memphis, which has a predominantly Black population. They claim it intimidates law-abiding Latinos, many of whom have altered their daily routines, avoiding work, church, and dining out to escape potential harassment and unjust detention. As of the end of October, data revealed 319 arrests related to administrative warrants, which pertain to immigration 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.
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
“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.
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