MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A new Impact Team analysis of federal deportation data shows nearly 900 ICE arrests were recorded in Shelby County in the months following the launch of the Memphis Safe Task Force — and roughly 60% of those arrests ended in deportation.
What the data shows
The Impact Team analyzed records from the Deportation Data Project, a database maintained by UC Berkeley School of Law and UCLA using records obtained through Freedom of Information Act litigation. The analysis covers September 29, 2025 — the first official day of the Memphis Safe Task Force — through April 1, 2026.
During that period, 891 ICE arrests were recorded in Shelby County. Of those, 536 ended in deportation.
The data also shows more than 80% of all ICE arrests in Shelby County involved individuals with no criminal convictions. About 42% had two pending criminal charges…