Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made a surprise raid on a Memphis bar that reportedly ended in the detention of some 100 bar patrons.
The operation was launched late on Saturday night and continued into Sunday morning as ICE entered the El Corralón in the Berclair neighborhood of the city in what ICE described as a “multi-agency operation,” WHBQ-TV reported.
“On August 30, ICE conducted a multi-agency targeted enforcement operation on Macon Road in Memphis, Tennessee,” an ICE spokesperson told the Commercial Appeal via email. “This is an ongoing investigation. More information will be released when available.”
ICE also told the media that the raid was launched with a search warrant tied to an investigation into illegal gambling and drug activity.
Videos made by onlookers show several vans pulling up and being loaded with detainees.
Memphis city officials and police spokesmen denied any direct role in the raid and note they were only called in for traffic control after the raid began and once citizens began to gather on the streets outside the bar.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young assured constituents that the Memphis Police was only involved in traffic and crowd control and was not part of the planning or implementation of the raid.
“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 in his statement. “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.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: Facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston, Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston, or at X/Twitter @WTHuston
