An anti-crime taskforce ordered by Donald Trump to patrol the streets of Memphis has been accused of targeting community observers with widespread intimidation, including the use of "immense force." The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee alleges that agents have been "retaliating against, intimidating, and harassing" observers attempting to monitor the federal taskforce's activities. The ACLU filed a lawsuit this month against Tennessee state and federal officials administering the anti-crime initiative.
Allegations of Intimidation
Additional declarations filed on Thursday by six community observers detail what they describe as "cowboy tactics" used in recent months. These include tailing cars in unmarked vehicles, conducting pretextual traffic stops, and making arbitrary arrests. The taskforce was launched last September by Tennessee's Republican governor, Bill Lee, following an executive order by Trump, who cited persistently high violent crime rates in Memphis. Lee promptly activated the National Guard and flooded the city with more than 2,000 state and federal police officers.
Community Observer Experiences
Hunter Demster, the lead litigant in the case, alleged that police officers surveilled his home and the homes of other activists who had been trying to observe the taskforce's activities. He described an incident in which a masked agent driving an unmarked black Ford Expedition sped up and swerved toward him while he was standing near a grassy median. The vehicle turned sharply as it approached, missing him by two inches, according to his declaration. In another incident, an agent Demster had not previously met addressed him by name from the loudspeaker of a truck. "When I am home alone and I hear a branch snap, my heart drops," Demster said. "The presence of these unmarked vehicles outside my home gives me a scary, uneasy feeling that has taken away my peace inside my own home."
Retaliation and False Arrest
The six plaintiffs in the lawsuit offered meticulous documentation to support their allegations of retaliation by the taskforce. US Customs and Border Protection revoked the decade-long Global Entry status of James West, a retired anesthesiologist, less than a month after he began photographing taskforce activities. The official email notification stated he no longer met requirements because he may be "subject to a law enforcement investigation" or suspected of "conduct related to terrorism." Jessica Chodor described her arrest after she began filming taskforce officers last October. She alleged that Trooper Suzore tackled her to the ground with immense force after she told him he was being recorded live. Chodor spent 27 hours in an overcrowded jail cell before being released, and the state later dropped its charge of resisting official detention.
Legal and Legislative Context
The ACLU alleges that the taskforce's methods amount to unconstitutional retaliation. Tennessee lawmakers passed the Halo law in 2025, which made intentionally approaching a police officer within 25 feet an arrestable offense. The ACLU lawsuit contends that taskforce officers have weaponized this law, pushing witnesses far beyond a 25-foot perimeter by walking toward them, refusing to define where the buffer begins, or telling them they must stay 25 feet away from the furthest agent or an empty cruiser. In a filing earlier this month, the ACLU claimed that taskforce agents are issuing verbal threats, taunting plaintiffs by name, tailing them in vehicles, and sitting outside their homes after photographing their faces and license plates.
Taskforce Claims and Crime Trends
Trump, Lee, and law enforcement officials have repeatedly touted the taskforce's success. The White House stated that overall crime in Memphis is down more than 43% compared to the same period last year, with fewer than 200 murders in 2025 for the first time since 2019. By mid-March, the taskforce had made more than 7,000 arrests, seized over 1,000 illegal guns, and reunited more than 150 missing children with their parents. However, violent crime had been falling sharply in Memphis before the taskforce started making arrests, consistent with nationwide crime declines since 2022 due to youth population trends and post-pandemic secular trends. The US Marshals Service declined to comment on the allegations. This story was amended on 28 May 2026 to correct that the lawsuit was filed by the ACLU of Tennessee, not Louisiana.
