Congressman Cohen Urges Secretary Noem and Attorney General Bondi to Remove ICE Agents from Memphis
“Memphis does not and has never had an immigration problem”
WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi urging them to remove Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from Memphis, stating that Memphis does not have an immigration problem. He made a floor speech on the same subject Monday night.
The letter reads in part:
“I urge you to eliminate the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from the Memphis Safe Task Force and remove Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from Memphis.
“The stated purpose of the task force is ‘to end street and violent crime.’ However, I have heard numerous reports of ICE agents terrorizing innocent, hardworking community residents, who support our society and economy, and do not fit the bill of being criminals. They certainly are not ‘the worst of the worst’ like murderers, rapists and sex offenders. Data provided directly from the taskforce demonstrates that most
of the arrests are for non-violent related offenses. In fact, most are traffic citations.
“Memphis does not and has never had an immigration problem. The inclusion of ICE agents in Memphis is antithetical to the original purpose of the taskforce, which is supposed to be addressing violent crime. The presence of these agents is doing nothing but increasing fear and harassment. It is alarming the way these detentions are taking place with unidentified masked individuals dragging people out of cars or accosting immigrant parents after they have dropped their children off to school.
“As the federal representative of Memphis, I implore you to withdraw ICE agents from ‘the city of good Abode.’ It is unnecessary and a waste of federal resources. Immigrants are not part of our crime problem.”
See the letter here.
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