ACLU Files Injunction Seeking Protection for Memphis Task Force Observers
Volunteer observers say they’ve faced months of harassment and surveillance while trying to document Memphis Safe Task Force activities, prompting ACLU to seek emergency court protection.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE — Volunteer observers monitoring the Memphis Safe Task Force have faced harassment and surveillance while documenting federal and state law enforcement activities, according to court documents filed Thursday as part of an ongoing federal lawsuit.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee submitted numerous personal accounts detailing alleged retaliation against citizens who have attempted to record traffic stops and arrests conducted by the 31-agency federal and state partnership established by President Donald Trump eight months ago.
Pattern of Intimidation Alleged
According to the court filings, bystanders reported being bumper-rushed by cars driven by federal agents, boxed into their vehicles as they arrived to record arrests, and surveilled at their homes. Observers also reported being photographed, followed, and taunted by name by officers whom they do not know.
The ACLU filed the lawsuit in May on behalf of four observers, alleging a “startling pattern of retaliation, intimidation, and harassment” against bystanders recording activities by state troopers, immigration enforcement agents, U.S. Marshals, Tennessee Highway Patrol officers, and other agencies.
In one documented instance, an observer was allegedly assaulted and arrested while attempting to monitor task force operations. The volunteers say they have been subjected to these tactics while exercising their constitutional right to observe and record law enforcement activities in public spaces.
“Halo Law” Frequently Invoked
The observers reported dozens of instances in which task force members invoked Tennessee’s new “Halo Law,” which allows law enforcement to order members of the public to stand 25 feet back from police activities. According to the court documents, the law was more often used to keep witnesses more than 25 feet away and out of view of task force activities in public spaces.
The Memphis Safe Task Force represents a collaboration designed to combat crime and enforce immigration law, bringing thousands of federal and state law enforcement agents to the city. The multi-agency partnership includes officers from various federal and state agencies working together on enforcement operations.
Preliminary Injunction Sought
On Thursday, ACLU attorneys petitioned for a preliminary injunction in the ongoing case, seeking to bring an immediate halt to alleged acts of intimidation by task force members while the case proceeds through federal court. The legal action aims to protect observers’ First Amendment rights to monitor and document law enforcement activities.
The court filings describe what attorneys characterize as systematic efforts to prevent public oversight of task force operations through intimidation tactics targeting civilian observers. The case highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement operations and public accountability efforts in Memphis.
The lawsuit seeks to establish clear protections for citizens exercising their constitutional right to observe and record police activities, particularly during the heightened enforcement period under the Memphis Safe Task Force operations.
