MEMPHIS, TN — Black residents in Memphis say they are being harassed and profiled by law enforcement under President Donald Trump’s “Memphis Safe Task Force,” a joint operation between federal, state, and local agencies meant to combat violent crime. The task force has made more than 1,700 arrests since mid-September, though few have been for violent offenses, according to reporting by MLK50 and ProPublica.
Residents described being stopped without cause, questioned by armed officers without badges, and subjected to intimidation. Reggie Williams, 39, said he feared for his life during one encounter with unmarked officers, while Pastor ELaura James Reid recounted being pulled over by a National Guard vehicle because she “looked lost.”
Civil rights groups argue the operation revives pretextual policing practices that the DOJ previously criticized. The U.S. Marshals Service denied racial profiling claims, saying the task force’s mission is “removing violent offenders from our streets.”
Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Democratic lawmakers have urged the task force to refocus on violent crime, while Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee defended the operation, saying, “If they’re not a criminal element, then they shouldn’t be afraid.”
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