Trump falsely claims immigrants are criminals during Memphis roundtable, exaggerates crime reduction statistics

During a White House-arranged roundtable event in Memphis on March 25, 2026, President Trump repeatedly made false statements conflating immigrants with criminals, claiming many are 'murderers' and 'drug dealers' coming from jails and mental institutions. He also made exaggerated claims about crime reduction in Memphis, citing statistics ranging from 75-81% decreases that fact-checkers questioned. While Trump declared Memphis' crime problem 'fixed' and took credit for a reported 40-43% drop in overall crime, critics noted crime was already declining before federal intervention. Of nearly 7,000 arrests by his Memphis Safe Task Force, only 619 were identified as undocumented individuals (less than 9%), directly undermining his narrative linking immigration to crime. The event exemplifies a pattern of using false statistics and dehumanizing rhetoric to scapegoat immigrant communities.

"Many immigrants are murderers and drug dealers coming from jails and mental institutions." — Statement made during Memphis roundtable while discussing immigration and crime, part of broader false claims conflating immigrants with criminality