ACLU Comment on Executive Order on Federal Equipment Acquisition

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Today, Stand for Children Tennessee and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the city of Memphis for unlawfully denying access to public records that would shed light on the police department’s use of force policies and practices. The request, sent in May 2025, seeks to uncover whether the Memphis Police Department (MPD) has taken any steps to address misconduct and civil rights violations identified in the 2024 Department of Justice (DOJ) report. The ACLU filed similar requests in six other jurisdictions across the country that received DOJ findings reports about unlawful policing. MPD is the only department to issue a blanket denial. “This lawsuit is necessary because the public deserves answers,” said Cardell Orrin, executive director of Stand for Children Tennessee. “The DOJ confirmed that MPD engaged in excessive force, racial profiling, and discriminatory policing. More than a year later, Memphians still don’t know whether those findings have been addressed. “At a moment of expanded policing and federal involvement, transparency from our local police department is more important than ever. This lawsuit is about ensuring the public can access information that the law says should be available — so communities, journalists, and policymakers can understand what’s happening and respond accordingly.” The records denial comes amidst an alarming surge of federal law enforcement into Memphis. In September, the Trump administration issued a memo establishing a regressive policing task force made up of various federal law enforcement agencies. Over the past several months, armed and masked federal law enforcement have been working closely with the Memphis Police Department to patrol neighborhoods across the city, detaining Black and Brown residents at a disproportionate rate. “When police operate in the shadows, it allows misconduct to flourish and communities pay the price,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy director of policing at the ACLU. “That is exactly what we are seeing in Memphis today. Armed and masked federal agents are working hand in hand with MPD, reportedly using the same aggressive and unconstitutional tactics that led to the killing of Tyre Nichols and the subsequent DOJ investigation. We cannot afford to wait for another tragedy to happen before the city willingly increases transparency. The people of Memphis deserve answers about what is happening in their own streets.” Since the DOJ’s December 2024 report documenting MPD’s pattern of excessive force, racial discrimination, and unconstitutional policing, the city has not made sufficient reforms. Without more access to data and public records, the public has no meaningful way to assess whether the department has made any changes at all. The records request seeks existing documentation such as use‑of‑force reports and field investigation memos, which are routine records departments are required to maintain under MPD policy. MPD’s refusal to release the documents makes them an outlier among police departments in cities like Lexington, Mississippi and Louisville, Kentucky, which have already complied with similar requests. This denial reflects a broader pattern of resistance to public records requests by the city of Memphis. In a separate case last year, a judge found the city had willfully violated the Tennessee Public Records Act by unlawfully denying records and imposing improper barriers to access, underscoring ongoing concerns about transparency. Original Records Request (Sent May 21, 2025): https://stand.org/tennessee/memphis-police-department-official-records-request/

This case is about whether people unlawfully incarcerated beyond their mandatory transfer dates under the First Step Act can file habeas corpus petitions seeking their release from prison onto prerelease custody in the community.

On February 10, 2026, CLRP, along with the ACLU of Idaho and Wendy J. Olson, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho, and partner at Stoel Rives, filed a putative class action lawsuit challenging an immigration raid carried out at a popular family event in Wilder, Idaho in October 2025.

BOISE – The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Idaho filed a putative class action lawsuit today challenging an immigration raid carried out at a popular family event in Wilder, Idaho. In October 2025, more than 200 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers descended on the La Catedral arena with armored trucks and helicopters, flashbang grenades, and guns drawn, detaining approximately 400 spectators – including U.S. citizens and children – for four hours of detention in inhumane conditions. On October 19, at the height of an otherwise festive and calm day, masked law enforcement stormed La Catedral arena to conduct a dragnet immigration raid. They shoved compliant people to the ground, forcibly dragged people out of their cars, shot rubber bullets, and threw flashbang grenades into cars that had people sitting inside. Parents and children were zip tied at gunpoint, and agents subjected people to hours of violent and degrading treatment. “Our plaintiffs were treated as less than human because ICE and their willing partners think they can disregard fundamental rights if it gets them immigration arrests,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, deputy director of policing at the ACLU. “From Wilder, to Minneapolis, to Chicago, the Trump administration is trampling our rights using racially biased tactics that make us all less safe. The administration can suggest that this abuse is immune from legal consequences, but it is not, and we intend to prove that in court.” The ACLU’s lawsuit is brought on behalf of three Latino families who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents and a putative class and challenges the discriminatory and unreasonable mass detention of hundreds of attendees. The lawsuit centrally claims that federal and state actors conspired to deprive those detained of equal protection based on ethnicity, under laws created after the Civil War to prevent racialized government violence. Juana Rodriguez and her 3-year-old son are U.S. citizens. Juana was handcuffed in zip ties for several hours. Police instructed Juana’s 3-year-old to hold onto her pocket, which officers turned inside out. He held onto her pocket crying during the several hours they were detained. "On October 19, I took my 3-year-old to a family-friendly event where we could eat, play, and enjoy horse races together,” said Juana Rodriguez. “What happened turned our outing into a nightmare. My toddler was forced to witness an incredible amount of violence against people he loves and hear racial slurs about Latinos, experiences that no child should ever be exposed to. I'll never forget hearing his little voice pleading with me to give him food and water for hours on end. As a parent, nothing is more heartbreaking than hearing your child cry out in fear and being told you cannot hold or comfort them. “I am a proud U.S. citizen, and I didn't do anything wrong. While nothing will ever undo the harm of that day, I joined this lawsuit because I know what happened to me was wrong and because no family should be treated this way again.” The horseraces at La Catedral are a beloved family-friendly event in Wilder and have long been a place for the local Latino community to celebrate Mexican culture. On typical weekends at La Catedral, families with young children and elderly grandparents spend time outside together, enjoying the races, their favorite Mexican foods, and playing games. "In moments like this, we ask ourselves: is this the kind of society we want to be?" said Leo Morales, executive director of the ACLU of Idaho. "Those children and their mothers are traumatized for life. It is heartbreaking that federal, state, and local police turned a family-friendly event into a place of nightmares. While nothing can undo what these families endured, we can hold those in power to account and ensure no one else has to endure this treatment in the future." The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU, ACLU of Idaho, and Wendy J. Olson, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho, and partner at Stoel Rives. The complaint is available here: https://www.aclu.org/documents/rodriguez-et-al-v-porter-et-al-class-action-complaint