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Trump praises Kash Patel at Memphis event
Patel spoke of his personal journey to becoming on of the the most prominent officials in the current administration, highlighting the Indian-American immigrant journey.
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IANS - Tue, 24, Mar 2026
- 00:53 EDT
- 12
Donald Trump and Kash Patel / X/@FBIDirectorKash
President Donald Trump praised FBI Director Kash Patel, an Indian-American, at a roundtable on the Memphis Safe Task Force, where Patel said the operation had helped law enforcement arrest violent offenders at “record historic levels”.
At the event in Memphis, Trump introduced Patel warmly before inviting him to speak. Referring to the FBI chief, he said: “FBI Director Kash Patel, wonderful guy, actually. You've got to get to know him. Once you get to know him, he’s a wonderful guy.”
After Patel’s remarks, Trump again praised him, saying, “Thank you very much, Kash. Pretty good. He did pretty good.”
Patel used the platform to highlight the administration’s law-and-order push and the role of the Memphis Safe Task Force, which officials said had sharply reduced violent crime in the city over the past six months.
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“You have allowed us to go out there and capture gang bangers, rapists, murderers, drug dealers at record historic levels,” Patel said, addressing Trump.
Patel also spoke of his personal journey, giving the event an Indian-American angle. “For me, a first-generation Indian American kid whose parents fled a genocide in East Africa, to become the ninth director of the FBI, I’m living the wildest dream you could possibly imagine,” he said.
He credited Trump with backing law enforcement. “We didn’t have a commander in chief who backed the blue, who resourced the blue, who funded the military, who did whatever it takes to safeguard every single life,” Patel said.
The Memphis Safe Task Force, launched in September 2025, brings together federal, state, and local agencies along with the National Guard. Officials used the roundtable to showcase the operation as a model for tackling violent crime.
U.S. Marshals Service Director Gady Serralta said the task force had made “over 7,342 arrests” in just over six months. He said the cases included 44 homicides, 812 drug offences and 757 gang-related offences. He added that more than 1,200 illegal firearms had been seized and 150 missing children had been located and returned.
Patel said the Memphis operation showed what coordinated law enforcement could achieve. “This is an enduring mission,” he said. “It is going to go on for generations to come.”
Other officials also underlined the administration’s support for the effort. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the task force worked because agencies were operating “hand-in-hand”, while Trump used the gathering to portray Memphis as an example of how aggressive federal intervention could reduce crime.
Patel’s appearance stood out not only because of his role in the administration’s public safety message, but also because of Patel's rise as an Indian-American in one of the most powerful law enforcement posts in Washington. His remarks blended biography, praise for Trump and a hard-line public safety message.
Patel’s role as FBI director places him among the most prominent Indian-origin officials in the current administration.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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