Immigration officials raided a bar in Memphis' Berclair neighborhood in the early hours of Aug. 30, detaining more than 100 people, according to an immigrant advocacy organization.
Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customers raided El Corralón, a local bar, around 1 a.m. on Sunday morning, Aug. 30, according to Vecindarios901, an immigrant advocacy organization that fields calls from Memphis-area residents about ICE activity in Shelby County.
Agents arrived with a search warrant based on an investigation involving illegal gambling machines and alleged drug activity, according to V901. The organization said detainees were taken away on buses.
ICE confirmed the operation but did not provide any further information.
"On August 30, ICE conducted a multi-agency
targeted enforcement operation on Macon Road in Memphis, Tennessee," an ICE spokesperson said via email. "This is an ongoing investigation. More information will be released when available."
A spokesperson with the Memphis Safe Task Force said the raid was not a MSTF operation.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young said in an Aug. 30 statement the Memphis Police Department was not involved in planning or carrying out the operation. Officers responded after they were requested to assist with traffic and crowd control when people began gathering in the area and MPD did not arrest or detain anyone, according to the statement.
"This morning's ICE raid on Macon Road has been unsettling for many people in our community, particularly families who are still trying to understand what happened and what it means for their loved ones," Young said. "I can assure you of this: the people impacted by what happened this morning are our neighbors. They are part of the Memphis community, and they deserve to be treated with dignity."
Several activist organizations staged a protest outside of the AutoZone on Summer Avenue Sunday evening.
Jack Armstrong covers breaking news and the environment for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at jack.armstrong@commercialappeal.com and followed on X @jca2902.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: ICE raid at Memphis bar leads to detention of more than 100 people: advocacy organization
