In Memphis, an 'anti-crime' task force quietly turned into an ICE crackdown

The influx of federal agents into the city last fall led to widespread immigration arrests – a majority without criminal convictions. President Trump has said he wants to replicate it elsewhere.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7138x4759+0+0/resize/7138x4759!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F36%2F28%2Fe6a788d44066a22399c7658b4dbb%2Fap26200026459182.jpg' alt='Members of the National Guard stand watch on Beale St., Friday, July 17, 2026, in Memphis, Tenn.'/><p>The influx of federal agents into the city last fall led to widespread immigration arrests – a majority without criminal convictions. President Trump has said he wants to replicate it elsewhere. </p><p>(Image credit: George Walker IV)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5896284' />