The government of President Donald Trump has ordered a radical shift in the operational priorities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), redirecting hundreds of agents towards immigration control tasks across the country, to the detriment of counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and white-collar crime investigations.
The decision, confirmed by internal memorandums and initially reported by Reuters and later by the network NBC, represents one of the most significant structural changes within the agency in decades.
National changes: From terrorism to immigration
The order affects all field offices of the FBI, where now up to 45% of the full-time operational staff will be assigned to immigration-related duties.
This restructuring particularly impacts the 25 largest offices in the country.
In Atlanta, for example, 67 agents—approximately half of the staff—will be tasked with immigration duties seven days a week.
In Los Angeles, nine exclusive squads will be formed for "control and deportation operations," including against individuals without criminal records who have overstayed their visa.
The Boston office was also instructed to assign 33 additional agents to this task.
These measures have raised concerns within the agency itself.
"This is not what we do; these are bad ideas." declared a federal official who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity.
“If this were a democratic government, I would say that this is bad, that we shouldn’t be doing this,” he specified.
The FBI spokesperson, Ben Williamson, justified the change by stating that the FBI is committed to supporting its partners in immigration law enforcement and will continue to do so.
2,000 agents for immigration
According to one of the memorandums obtained by NBC News, the goal is to have 2,000 FBI agents nationwide dedicated exclusively to the enforcement of immigration laws.
"As you know, we have actively participated in immigration control initiatives in coordination with our partners at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)," an internal memo stated.
"Starting this week, we will need to see an increase in the operational pace of your immigration initiatives," the document adds.
Budget cuts and forced retirements
The shift in focus occurs in a context of budget cuts.
The Trump Administration has proposed a 5% reduction in the FBI's budget, and this week, Director Kash Patel approved 667 requests for early retirements from the Bureau's staff.
The internal climate within the FBI seems to be characterized by tension and distrust towards the new directives.
A federal police officer indicated that the agents are "uncomfortable being part of immigration operations" due to the lack of meticulous planning by ICE, in comparison to the usual procedures of the FBI.
Impact on the migrant community
Immigrant advocacy organizations have also expressed their concern.
“Instead of going after the real terrorists, we are going to go after those who clean our gardens, care for our children, process food, harvest vegetables, etc.”, said Juan José Gutiérrez, spokesperson for the Coalition for the Full Rights of Immigrants.
Fear within migrant communities is increasing, and there are concerns that many individuals will refrain from reporting crimes due to fears of retaliation or deportation.
Reduce attention to white-collar crimes
Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has instructed prosecutors to reduce the pursuit of certain corporate crimes.
A memorandum issued by Matthew Galeotti, head of the Criminal Division, instructs prosecutors to apply an "appropriate balance" in these cases.
“The excessive and uncontrolled application of corporate and white-collar laws poses a burden on American companies and harms the country's interests,” wrote Galeotti.
The guide states that not all corporate offenses warrant federal criminal action and calls for minimizing collateral impact and the duration of investigations.
Priorities are now focused on customs fraud, sanctions evasion, money laundering – including Chinese networks – and terrorism financing.
Agreements with sanctioned companies are also being reviewed, and some may be terminated early.
"Federal investigations can significantly interfere with daily business operations and cause reputational damage that, at times, may be unwarranted," warned Galeotti.
Reactions and political context
This redirection of resources aligns with the frustration expressed by Trump and his advisors regarding what they see as a slow pace of deportations.
Data published during the Biden administration shows that "hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants with criminal records were living in the United States, including more than 10,000 with convictions for homicide", according to reports cited by NBC News.
Critics warn that this policy may undermine the fight against more serious threats, such as terrorism or international espionage.
At the same time, activists fear that the intensified focus on immigration will erode public trust in security institutions and lead to serious social consequences.
The shift in priorities of the FBI under the Trump administration marks a significant change in U.S. security policy.
By placing irregular immigration at the center of focus, shifting from issues like counterterrorism and financial crimes, the role of the main federal investigative agency is being reconfigured.
The measure has been defended by the administration, but there are critical voices both inside and outside the FBI warning about the institutional, political, and human cost that this new approach may have for the country.
Filed under:
