Two of the four plaintiffs suing the Trump administration and Tennessee Highway Patrol over the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), claiming illegal retaliation and unconstitutional enforcement of Tennessee’s Halo Law, are affiliated with Vecindarios 901, the pro-illegal alien activist group that describes itself as a “grassroots rapid response network” based in Memphis. They are represented by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The first plaintiff listed in the original complaint is Hunter Demster, who has been repeatedly described or identified as the co-founder of Vecindarios 901. A profile in Memphis Magazine said that Demster “uses videos shot on a phone and social media to document law enforcement.”
According to the magazine, at Vecindarios 901, “Demster supports individuals [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] targets and tracks ICE raids, where he takes calls reporting ICE activity across Memphis and alerts the community on social media.”
The MSTF deployed in late September 2025, and by October 3, Demster claimed that illegal aliens were being “snatched up” by task force members.
Demster’s activism appears to have been entered into the court record, with videos showing an August 2026 arrest submitted this week as evidence of harassment and intimidation.
While the Vecindarios 901 co-founder claims his recent brushes with law enforcement are targeted, Demster was previously arrested in 2020, when he was among the protesters who were arrested during a visit by former Attorney General Bill Barr in 2020.
Vecindarios 901 activists also participated in a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020, and attended a Democratic Socialists of America event in 2019.
Vecindarios 901 speaking at our general meeting pic.twitter.com/DccwKgBHYF
— Memphis-MidSouth DSA (@MemphisDSA) December 11, 2019
The second Vecindarios 901 activist serving as a plaintiff in the lawsuit is Jessica Chodor, who MLK50: Justice Through Journalism reported last November was volunteering with the pro-illegal alien group when she was arrested at the scene of a traffic stop where she hoped to “observe and document” interactions with federal law enforcement.
Chodor was further described by the ACLU as “a volunteer with Vecindarios901” last December, and more recently, as a “volunteer observer with Vedinarios 901” by The Tennessee Lookout in June.
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Mark Saalfield Sr., who was appointed by President Donald Trump in 2018.
Last month, Vecindarios 901 was the first organization to report the ICE operation at El Corralón, the Memphis nightclub where the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later told The Tennessee Star that more than 120 illegal aliens were arrested.
ICE later told The Star that one of the individuals detained is the same man who unsuccessfully applied for a beer permit from the city for the establishment.
Watch video showing the August 26 arrest of Demster:
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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 “Arrested” by ACLU.
