US Attorney Pam Bondi touts Memphis arrests in post about federal crime fighting efforts there

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Safe Task Force, a collection of about a dozen federal law enforcement agencies ordered by President Donald Trump to fight crime in Memphis, began making arrests on Monday, according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Bondi said in a social media post Wednesday that the task force made more than 50 arrests over a two-day period. The agents, who include personnel from immigration and drug enforcement, have begun serving criminal arrest warrants while teaming with state agencies like the Tennessee Highway Patrol to make traffic stops on interstates and state roads. Bondi said more than 200 officers were deputized.

The task force is part of a larger effort by President Donald Trump to use National Guard troops and surge federal law enforcement in American cities, particularly ones controlled by Democrats.

Trump has called the move necessary and attacked Democrats on crime and immigration policies. Following a the use of National Guard troops in the District of Columbia and Los Angeles, he referred to Portland, Oregon, as “war-ravaged” and threatened apocalyptic force in Chicago.

Mobile command centers for the U.S. Marshals Service and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have been set up at a staging area for the task force. A Marshals spokesperson said the service will release periodic updates that include arrest numbers, types of charges and participating agencies.

“With the addition of federal resources in Memphis, including enhanced interagency collaboration, it’s reasonable to expect an increase in warrant enforcement activity, particularly targeting violent offenders who pose a threat to public safety,” Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Ryan Guay said in an email to The Associated Press.

The task force also includes the Tennessee National Guard. Republican Gov. Bill Lee has said he would not expect more than 150 National Guard members to be sent to Memphis, though the numbers have not been solidified. The city has said there will be no tanks, and Lee said guard troops will not make arrests or be armed unless local authorities request it.

It’s unclear when guard members will begin their work with the Memphis Police Department. Police Chief Cerelyn “CJ” Davis said during a town-hall meeting Tuesday evening that it could be a couple of weeks.

Memphis has experienced high numbers of violent crimes such as carjackings and homicides in recent years, but both Democratic and Republican officials have noted that the city is seeing decreases this year in some crime categories.

Opponents of the deployment say it is an unnecessary federal occupation of a majority-Black city that instead needs more funding to address poverty and other drivers of crime. Supporters see it as a welcomed infusion of law enforcement for a city that, despite recent improvements in crime statistics, still needs help battling violence.

Across the country in Oregon, meanwhile, members of that state's National Guard reported for duty on Wednesday. The troops were “preparing to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other U.S. Government personnel who are performing federal functions, including the enforcement of federal law, and to protect federal property in Oregon,” the Pentagon said in a statement.