Attorney General Pam Bondi highlighted results from the new federal law enforcement surge in Memphis, Tennessee, with dozens of arrests overnight.
In a Friday post on X, she said, “Last night, 60 arrests were made and 21 illegal firearms were seized. Arrests include a suspect wanted for rape of a child under 13.”
She added, “Since Monday, 153 arrests have been made, including 5 gang members, 48 guns seized, and 5 missing children recovered.”
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in mid-September, setting up the federal task force, indicating Memphis “is suffering from tremendous levels of violent crime that have overwhelmed its local government’s ability to respond effectively.”
Republican State Sen. Brent Taylor applauded the addition of a broad-based federal enforcement effort in the city. “If the federal agencies in the Memphis Safe Task Force can clean up Memphis the way they’ve done in Washington, D.C., then we can expect to live in a much safer and cleaner city very soon!”
A city notice to residents about the federal enforcement surge reads, “The Memphis action is presented as a sustained campaign, rather than an emergency takeover as was ordered in DC. This mission includes many local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.”
Gov. Bill Lee noted in a release in September that the task force was considered an extension of an existing effort involving the FBI to reduce crime in Memphis. He confirmed that Tennessee National Guard troops would be deployed to Memphis to assist with the crackdown.
Several Republican-led states have publicly praised the federal government’s increased involvement in local law enforcement, citing support for operations like the Memphis Safe Task Force as a means to combat violent crime and bolster public safety.
In contrast, many Democrat-led states, including California and Illinois, have criticized federal assistance, framing it as overreach that risks militarizing communities and undermining local authority.
One poster on X responded to Bondi’s arrest announcement with, “Please come clean up Nashville next.”
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