Activists arrested at immigration protest

A protest against immigration detention led to several arrests outside 201 Poplar on Tuesday afternoon.

A group of protesters playing the roles of ICE agents and prisoners were crossing Poplar Avenue when police stepped in.

Officials took several people into custody, including well-known activists Keedran Franklin and Spencer Kaaz, reporter Manuel Duran with Spanish-language news outlet Memphis Noticias, and at least two women playing the role of prisoners.

The protest took place as large numbers of journalists and dignitaries are in Memphis for commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

A police colonel who was present at the scene referred comments to a police spokesman. Police spokesman Louis C. Brownlee said he wanted to review the written reports from the incident before commenting.

Immigrants from Mexico and Central America began arriving in Memphis in the mid-1990s. Many came to the country illegally or overstayed visas, but demand for low-cost labor meant the federal government rarely enforced immigration law in this area. Many lived openly, but with limited rights.

Immigration arrests in non-border areas like Memphis have increased under President Donald Trump.

Ivan Flores with the organization Comunidades Unidas en una Voz (Communities United in One Voice) said one of the women arrested was Yuleny Escobar. He said he wasn’t sure of the spelling of the other woman’s name.

He said the protesters were crossing the street and he didn’t see the arrests as justified.

“It’s just what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to keep us quiet, especially this week when they know Memphis is going to be in the spotlight.”

The arrests played out in front of journalists from local media as well as the New York Times, The Guardian and other outlets.

After several tense minutes, the police left the street and the protesters left to regroup and attend to the jailed protesters.

Both Kaaz and Franklin had been detained and released on Monday at a protest at the North Memphis shop where a teen boy was shot and killed, allegedly by a clerk.

They were part of a group organizing rolling protests throughout the city on Tuesday, including at a FedEx facility