RELEASE: Memphis Family Detained After Agents Deploy Tear Gas in Home with Infants
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November 12, 2025
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Memphis Family Detained After Agents Deploy Tear Gas in Home with Infants
We have to stand against the increased show of force from the federal agents in Memphis
MEMPHIS– As Memphis sees an escalation in force by law enforcement and federal agents across the city due to the invasion sent by President Trump and approved by Governor Lee, one family experienced agents using tear gas in the family home that also housed toddlers before detaining the children and driving them away and holding them for days. Yuleiny Escobar, local organizer with Votes for All, shared what she saw when she arrived at the home in a video message.
"Friday, November 7th, around 8 p.m. I got a call about a family being raided in their home here in Memphis. When I arrived, there were state troopers, ICE, and other agencies detaining a Latino family.
"The troopers had stopped a vehicle with Latino passengers, something we’re seeing more and more. They racially profile brown people, and the moment they see a consular ID instead of a U.S. one, they call ICE and agents show up within minutes.
"This family was terrified. They were right around the corner from their house when they were pulled over. They knew what was coming their way, so they decided to find shelter in their home. Unfortunately Officers surrounded the house, broke a window, and threw in at least two tear gas grenades.
Inside were a young woman, a young man, and a mother of twin baby boys just about 10 months old.
"Throwing tear gas into a home with babies inside is inhumane. I don’t see this happening in white neighborhoods. What are they looking for in Latino communities, except to spread fear?
"While they were detaining the family, officers kept going in and out of the house. I can only think they were trying to clean up the crime scene. A crime they committed by illegally entering and terrorizing that home as they didn’t have a warrant!
"A tow truck from PB&J Towing was on the street blocking the way for folks to enter or leave the neighborhood, blasting the song ‘Bad Boys’ from a speaker as if this were entertainment. When I asked why he was doing that while a family was in handcuffs, he told me I should be deported back to Mexico. This is the reality in Memphis right now. I saw the ICE agents take children out of the home and into a vehicle. When I arrived almost everyone was outside already.
"We must come together and defend humanity, be a voice for these small humans. We have to speak out and demand that ICE and other federal agencies leave our city. They are making us live in fear, separating families, scaring children, and we cannot accept this.
"Will you share this video? Most people outside of Memphis don’t know how horrific and violent this escalation of force has become against our community. These human rights abuses aren’t ok and we can’t just silently watch. Share this video and sign the open letter to Mayor Paul Young demanding he stop the collaboration between the Memphis Police Department and ICE. We are seeing it’s only for terrorizing our neighbors.
"Our liberation depends on our unity because when we come together we have nothing to lose but our chains. And don’t forget. If you witness or experience a raid or detention you can call Vecindarios 901’s Rapid Response Hotline. We are counting on you. "
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The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) is a statewide, immigrant and refugee-led collaboration whose mission is to build power, amplify our voices, and organize communities to advocate for our rights in order to build a stronger, more inclusive Tennessee where people of all nationalities, immigration statuses, and racial identities can belong and thrive. Since its founding in 2001, TIRRC has grown from a grassroots network of community leaders into one of the most diverse and effective coalitions of its kind, a model for emerging immigrant rights organizations in the Southeast and throughout the United States.