Outgoing Public Defender: ‘We’re not into assembly line justice’
Phyllis Aluko said there’s been a shift in people’s attitudes toward crime, punishment and due process, but public defenders play a key role in upholding constitutional standards.
Topic: Memphis Safe Task Force
RSSThere are 118 article(s) tagged Memphis Safe Task Force:
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January 2026
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In wake of fatal Minneapolis ICE shooting, some locals worry what could happen here
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is calling on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign as federal immigration raids in other places have taken a violent turn.
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Memphis prosecutors feel weight of Task Force cases
Thousands of people have been arrested within the past three months in Memphis, and prosecutors in both state and federal courts are feeling the increased load.
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Opinion: Building enduring peace in Memphis
“A fair justice system holds people accountable when they cause harm, and it provides swift justice for victims. True justice makes no distinction between rich and poor — white or Black, native-born or immigrant.”
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Whitehaven preachers lament Memphis’ long debate about crime and violence
Standing outside Berean Missionary Baptist Church in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis, the preachers led a series of prayers for an end to violent crime in the immediate area.
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Immigration enforcement doing more harm than good, Memphis lawmakers say
State Sen. Raumesh Akbari and County Commission Chair Shante Avant discussed the Memphis Safe Task Force’s immigration role on “Behind The Headlines” as well as legislation that would allow a state takeover of Memphis schools.
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Military lawyers sworn in to help with federal Task Force cases
U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman said during Monday’s swearing-in ceremony that case filings at the court were up more than 300%.
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Shelby County traffic fatalities are way down, and MPD credits outside manpower for the decline
The number of traffic fatalities in Shelby County dropped by almost a third in 2025, and MPD credits its officers as well as the extra help provided by state and federal officers.
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National Guard numbers swelled in mid-November, documents show
In the days before a Nashville judge ruled on the legality of Gov. Bill Lee’s deployment of the Tennessee National Guard, hundreds more guardsmen surged into Memphis, according to public records.
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What do Memphians think about Memphis Safe Task Force?
Some say the National Guard “shouldn’t be here,” while others say Memphis “got the message.” The Daily Memphian captured a snapshot of where Memphians stand on the Memphis Safe Task Force and its impact.
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Trump claims Memphis crime drop due to Task Force
President Donald Trump linked Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s regime to the alleged presence of Venezuelan gangs in American cities, including Memphis.
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Nearly 90% of Task Force immigration arrests started with traffic stops
The Daily Memphian obtained daily reports on the Task Force’s work between Oct. 1 and Dec. 8, and analyzed each day’s report to determine how every arrest started.
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December 2025
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Here’s what hit the headlines in Memphis this year
What were the news highlights of the year in Memphis? A look back at the metro team’s top stories.
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How clear is the line between immigration stops and MPD policy?
Activists responding to immigration police calls on behalf of those detained said on “Behind The Headlines” the lines look blurred at times as a police stop is followed by a federal presence.
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Before Task Force, there was Operation Viper — and nearly 500 arrests
This spring, FBI Director Kash Patel singled out Memphis’ violent crime rate during an interview with Fox News. When his comments were publicized, law enforcement was underway on what would become Operation Viper.
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Opinion: ‘The moral obligation to extend hospitality to the migrant and the stranger’
“Regardless of political affiliation or denomination, Christian people must speak clearly and with one voice that such treatment of the immigrant or cultural outsider in our midst is immoral and in direct opposition to the way of Jesus.”
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‘I don’t think I have seen a mug shot that is not Latino or African American,’ county mayor says about Task Force arrests
On “Behind The Headlines,” Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said he has tried to meet with federal officials from the Memphis Safe Task Force to talk about his concerns ICE agents are racially “profiling” Memphians.
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Mayor Young preparing for life after Task Force
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he wants to sustain the drop in crime.
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Memphis effort to expand school bus access falls flat, for now
MSCS board members directed the district to expand bus access to immigrant students who may be staying home from school to avoid interactions with the Memphis Safe Task Force.
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State challenges National Guard ruling
The state argues that a judge was wrong when she ruled that Gov. Bill Lee sent the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis illegally.
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November 2025
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Task Force officers arrested a murder suspect. The Daily Memphian was along for the ride.
“There’s so many people in this world who didn’t know we touched their lives because it didn’t happen to them,” Karolina Duda said of potential crime victims. The Daily Memphian rode along with Supervisory Deputy Duda to observe the on-the-ground work of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
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11 face federal charges after interactions with Task Force officers
All of the men were charged after altercations with officers during attempted traffic stops, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee said. Traffic stops have increased since the Task Force began.
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State now has until December to appeal National Guard ruling
The Tennessee National Guard is likely to remain in Memphis until at least early December, as the state has yet to appeal an injunction blocking the deployment.
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Pam Bondi, Bill Lee tout crime decline 56 days into Memphis Safe Task Force
“The numbers tell the story themselves. They are undeniable,” said U.S. Attorney General Bondi, who traveled to Memphis on Monday, Nov. 24.
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Is Shelby County’s cash crunch really about the Task Force?
While the Memphis Safe Task Force has had some impact on the county’s finances, the county is typically in this situation each year.
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