Mother deported after Memphis nightclub raid, four children left with grandmother
Sep 15, 2026·Location: Memphis, TN

A woman working at El Corralón, an immigrant-owned nightclub and restaurant in Memphis, was arrested during a pre-dawn ICE raid on August 30 dubbed 'Operation Corral Light' and, due to a prior removal order, was flown to Honduras within days, reuniting there with her husband who had been deported the previous year after a traffic stop. Her four U.S.-citizen children remain in Memphis with their grandmother, who said the youngest wakes up crying for his mother while a 16-year-old has taken on helping raise the younger kids; reunification is complicated because no power of attorney was arranged and the children lack passports. The raid, initially targeting illegal gambling and a Honduran national suspected of running criminal activity, resulted in 121 arrests after agents corralled patrons and employees, checked immigration status, and zip-tied them onto buses while children screamed for detained parents. Only five of those arrested had criminal histories, and advocacy group Vecindarios 901 said it is working to identify detainees and connect families with attorneys. The ACLU of Tennessee, a state representative, and Memphis's mayor questioned whether the operation exceeded the scope of its gambling and narcotics warrants, and advocates alleged agents beat two security guards.
Timeline
Sources
- Memphis ICE raid: everything we know as group says more than 100 detained
Newsweek·Aug 31, 2026
- Eight kids, no parents: Memphis ICE raid leaves one grandmother with a full house
wknofm.org·Sep 15, 2026·archived copy
- 'What is going to happen with the kids, Lord?'
mlk50.com·Sep 15, 2026·archived copy
- Memphis Illegal Gambling Bust Results in 121 ICE Arrests
gamblingnews.com·Sep 9, 2026
- ICE raid detains 100 in Memphis, draws community backlash
dailymemphian.com·Aug 31, 2026
- ICE operation draws heavy federal presence to Northeast Memphis
actionnews5.com·Aug 30, 2026
- Advocates question ICE operation at Highland Heights nightclub
actionnews5.com·Sep 1, 2026
- Witnesses describe ICE operation where more than 100 detained at Memphis nightclub
actionnews5.com·Aug 31, 2026
- DHS: 121 arrested in Memphis ICE raid
actionnews5.com·Sep 1, 2026
- Memphis immigration raid resulted in 121 arrests, feds say
dailymemphian.com·Sep 1, 2026
- dhs.gov
- TBI, THP Assist Memphis raid that led to 100 ICE detentions - Nashville Banner
nashvillebanner.com·Sep 3, 2026
- "Screaming for their children": Inside the Memphis ICE raid
wknofm.org·Sep 2, 2026
- thestarnewsnetwork.com
- Community groups give update on 121 detained after ICE raid in Berclair
- 121 arrested in one Memphis raid — only 5 names and records released so far
latintimes.com·Sep 4, 2026
- Inside the Memphis Nightclub Raid That Turned a Gambling Cra
thesalarmy.com·Sep 6, 2026
- ICE Raid at Memphis Nightclub Leads to 121 Arrests
uspress.news·Sep 7, 2026
- Vecindarios 901 calls for change after private meeting with ICE raid victims
actionnews5.com·Sep 4, 2026
- Tennessee Highway Patrol, TBI played key role in Memphis ICE raid | Chattanooga Times Free Press
timesfreepress.com·Sep 3, 2026
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