From Newsgroup: alt.law-enforcement
Nearly one-fourth of FBI agents across the U.S. are currently assigned to immigration enforcement, according to data obtained by Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia).
The big picture: The Trump administration's immigration crackdown has dramatically ramped up detentions and deportations, in addition to shifting priorities across the federal government to help detain immigrants.
What they're saying: Rachel Cohen, Warner's communications director, told Axios agents "have been pulled from their jobs fighting terrorists, spies, drug traffickers and violent criminals in order to carry out Trump's immigration agenda."
Warner obtained the data, initially reported by The Washington Post, in his capacity as the Senate Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, which Cohen said came from a briefing.
"In the 25 largest field offices that number is closer to 45% of all agents," she said.
By the numbers: The FBI reassignment data reflects the number of agents working on immigration at least 50% of their time.
Agents assigned to immigration enforcement are working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), specifically to locate and arrest people, per The Post.
The FBI did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Zoom out: Under FBI Director Kash Patel, the FBI has zeroed in on immigration and violent crime investigations, moving away from historical priorities such as right-wing violence.
Patel recently said that this year, the FBI has made more counterintelligence- and drug-trafficking-related arrests than it did during the same period last year.
Catch up quick: The Trump administration has said the FBI would be directing time and energy toward immigration enforcement, which the Justice Department said in May it is doing.
President Trump also used FBI personnel in August when he deployed National Guard members and directed other federal agents to patrol Washington, D.C. to crack down on crime, despite falling crime rates.
What they're saying: Attorney General Pam Bondi on Tuesday defended the FBI's decision to shift more resources toward immigration enforcement.
"Every day our FBI, [Drug Enforcement Administration], [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] agents, and now U.S. marshals working on a task force with Homeland Security are out there keeping Americans safe and getting illegal aliens out of our country, many of whom have committed violent crimes in this country," Bondi said during a Senate oversight hearing.
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/08/trump-ice-immigration-kash-patel-fbi
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