Activists with Vecindarios 901 claim that more than 100 people were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an enforcement operation in Memphis on Saturday, while a spokesperson for the federal agency only told The Tennessee Star that a “multi-agency targeted enforcement operation” was ongoing in the area.
According to a social media post by Vecindarios 901, the enforcement operation took place at the Memphis bar El Corralón. Authorities at the scene reportedly included ICE, the Memphis Police Department, and members of the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), according to the activists.
Vecindarios 901 describes itself as a “grassroots rapid response network” that is “dedicated to supporting immigrant families and protecting their rights.”
In their post to social media, the activists described the law enforcement action as “the single largest immigration raid in Memphis history,” and claimed authorities said it was part of a “criminal search.”
“Agents arrived with a search warrant for the premises based on an investigation regarding gambling machines and alleged drug activity, but not an arrest warrant to arrest or detain people who were simply present at a neighborhood bar on a weekend evening,” the activists claimed. “In the end, they rounded up over 100 people, creating a painful chaos for the many families and children that arrived upon hearing the news.”
Last year, a Vecindarios 901 spokesperson similarly claimed immigrants were being “snatched up” by the MSTF.
More than 12,100 arrests have been completed by MSTF members since the task force arrived in Memphis last year, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Describing it as “an ongoing investigation” and stating that more information would be forthcoming, an ICE spokesperson told The Star, “On August 30, ICE conducted a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation on Macon Road in Memphis, Tennessee.”
In 2019, a Vecindarios 901 member spoke at a meeting of the Tennessee Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and in 2020 the group participated in a joint demonstration with Black Lives Matter activists following the death of George Floyd.
The Tennessee District Attorneys General’s Conference released a report in January showing state law enforcement tracked more than 11,000 arrests or convictions of illegal aliens in Tennessee in 2025.
In May, ICE announced the arrests of 117 illegal aliens following a week-long enforcement operation in East Tennessee. A joint operation between ICE and Tennessee Highway Patrol resulted in nearly 200 arrests in Davidson County last year.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “ICE in Memphis” by Vecindarios 901.
