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Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
During their October 20 meeting, the Memphis City Council passed a resolution calling for the removal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the National Guard from the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), claiming their presence has caused strife and damage to the community.
The Council was originally supposed to vote on the anti-ICE resolution on Oct. 6, but that meeting was cut short when citizens caused disruptions and fights after a vote surrounding data centers was delayed.
It was sponsored by five council members, including Yolanda Cooper-Sutton who was suspended from her committee duties for her reactionary participation in the chaos of the Oct. 6 meeting.
“It’s time for them to leave,” said Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas, another of the resolution’s sponsors, equating the presence of ICE and the Guard to “slave raids.”
The resolution cites an ICE raid at a nightclub on August 30 which led to the detainment of over 100 non-citizens, claiming it “rais[ed] concerns about due proves and the impact of federal immigration enforcement on local communities, including the disruption and separation of Memphis families.”
Democrat gubernatorial candidate and City Council member Jerri Green said, “People are being rounded up on buses in the middle of the night because of the color of their skin and their accent. They are being asked for their papers like Nazi Germany.”
One Councilwoman concurred with others that ICE should leave but requested that the National Guard be removed from the resolution because so many of her constituents told her they now felt safer.
“Absolutely not,” Green replied, recalling accusations about National Guardsmen being involved in a fatal shooting during a foot pursuit.
And Easter-Thomas also acknowledged that there has been a decrease in crime in the city but maintained the Memphis Police Department’s claims that the decline was already happening before the task force’s arrival in late 2025.
However, at an August City Council Meeting, Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis praised the task force’s effect in reducing crime and stated she is requesting some federal agencies maintain a presence in the city even after the MSTF eventually sunsets.
Nearly two dozen constituents urged the council to pass the resolution during public comments, including Rep. Justin Pearson, who was only allowed to attend the meeting due to a federal judge lifting the temporary ban he was issued by the Council for his disorderly conduct during the Oct. 6 meeting.
While fully acknowledging the Council has no authority or jurisdiction to compel either agency, council members still opted to pass the resolution to be officially on the record with their opposition.
Sources:
WREG.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
