FBI field offices ordered to shift agents to immigration crackdown [View all]
Source: NBC News
May 14, 2025, 11:53 PM EDT / Updated May 14, 2025, 11:59 PM EDT
FBI field offices around the country have been ordered to assign significantly more agents to immigration enforcement, a dramatic shift in federal law enforcement priorities that will likely siphon resources away from counterterrorism, counterintelligence and fraud investigations, multiple current and former bureau officials told NBC News.
The orders, given in a series of memos and meetings in FBI offices this week, come at a time when the Trump administration is proposing to cut 5% of the FBI’s budget, and as the Justice Department is deprioritizing investigations of certain types of white-collar and corporate crime, according to a memo obtained by NBC News.
The new push is happening as FBI Director Kash Patel also approved 667 requests for FBI personnel to take early retirement this week, two people familiar with the matter told NBC News. “As you know, we have been actively engaged in immigration enforcement efforts in coordination with our DOJ and DHS partners,” said a memo from a senior FBI official to managers that was obtained by NBC News. “Starting this week, we will need to see an increase in operational tempo in your immigration efforts. DOJ expects a significant increase in the number of agents participating in immigration enforcement operations.”
One federal law enforcement official estimated that the vast majority of agents were uncomfortable with being a part of the immigration operations, saying ICE doesn’t meticulously plan out arrest operations the way that the bureau does. “This is not what we do, these are bad ideas,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity citing fear of retaliation. “If this was a Democrat administration, I’d be saying this is bad, we shouldn’t be doing this.”
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/fbi-field-offices-ordered-shift-agents-immigration-crackdown-rcna206859
They are creating a Gestapo before our eyes.
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