ICE detains over 100 people during Memphis nightclub raid

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) conducted a multi-agency raid at El Corralón, a bar in Memphis, Tennessee, during the early hours of August 30. The operation was executed using search warrants as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged drug activity and illegal gambling machines.

Reports indicate that over 100 people were detained during the enforcement action. Witnesses described seeing detainees being loaded into multiple vans and buses. Local advocacy group Vecindarios 901 characterized the event as one of the largest immigration raids in the city’s history.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young stated that the Memphis Police Department was not involved in the planning or execution of the raid, noting that officers were only called to the scene around 3 a.m. to assist with traffic and crowd control after onlookers gathered. Mayor Young and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) expressed concern over the impact on the community, describing the operation as “unsettling” and causing widespread fear among immigrant families.