Memphis residents sue Trump-backed task force
Al Jazeera Staff
Four residents of Memphis, Tennessee have filed a lawsuit alleging harassment by a Trump-backed crime and immigration task force. The complaint claims officers retaliated against people recording arrests and other First Amendment-protected activities. The U.S. Justice Department denies the allegations.
Four residents of Memphis, Tennessee have filed a lawsuit against the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing it of harassment during a crackdown on crime and immigration in the city. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday local time, focuses on the Memphis Safe Task Force, a law enforcement initiative launched by Trump in September in coordination with state and local officials.
According to the complaint, officers involved in the campaign retaliated against local residents for engaging in activities protected by the First Amendment, including filming arrests. “Under the guise of crime control, Task Force officers have stopped, threatened, and arrested Memphis residents engaged in everyday activities,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit describes officers reacting with hostility toward bystanders who stopped to record the task force's operations. Specifically, it cites instances of threats of arrest and physical intimidation, including government vehicles driving directly toward activists monitoring enforcement campaigns. To date, the task force has conducted approximately 120,000 traffic stops in the predominantly minority city of nearly 610,000 residents.
The task force was established at the invitation of Governor Bill Lee and includes the Tennessee Highway Patrol, members of the Tennessee National Guard, and personnel from 13 federal agencies. The lawsuit names acting U.S. Attorney General Blanche as a defendant, along with leaders of agencies including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). State officials, including the head of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, are also named.
The U.S. administration denies any misconduct related to the Memphis Safe Task Force. “We completely disagree with the allegations in the complaint and are committed to maintaining fair, impartial, and professional law enforcement operations to keep the people of Memphis and Americans safe,” the U.S. Justice Department said Wednesday.
Since beginning his second term, Trump has often described liberal-leaning cities as “war zones” ravaged by crime and has deployed crackdowns in several major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. Some campaigns have faced strong opposition, with critics arguing that Trump exceeds his authority by deploying military forces without state approval.
Federal officers involved in these campaigns are accused of ignoring civil liberties and discriminating on the basis of race and ethnicity. Those monitoring or recording their activities also report having been threatened, even though such activities are legal. “Recording public law enforcement activities is a core right under the First Amendment,” said Scarlet Kim, senior attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is representing the plaintiffs in the case.
Hunter Demster, one of the plaintiffs, said he lives in a predominantly Latino community where the task force frequently makes traffic stops. Demster stated that he was surrounded by officers after recording such a stop and informing the vehicle's occupants that they had the right not to answer police questions. “It was a scary feeling. I wasn't doing anything illegal. I was using my First Amendment-protected right to hold up a phone and say some information about your rights,” he said.
