Senate Democrats Question Federal Law Enforcement Reassignments
Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, along with over two dozen other Democrats, are seeking answers from Trump administration officials regarding the reallocation of federal agents to immigration duties.
According to analysis by the Cato Institute, as of September, more than 14,000 officers from agencies such as the U.S. Marshall Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Defense have been reassigned to support ICE activities. Additionally, 85,000 state and local law enforcement officers have been trained to carry out ICE arrests, with another 2,000 currently in training.
A letter from the Senate Democrats highlights concerns that these agents are being diverted from vital criminal investigations to focus on detaining and deporting immigrants, most of whom have no criminal history. A separate Cato Institute report indicates that over 70% of immigrants in custody at the end of last year did not have criminal convictions.
The letter states, “Agents have been pulled off complex cases mid-investigation— cases involving child exploitation, drug trafficking, sanctions evasion, cyberattacks, domestic extremism, and foreign adversary activity —allowing dangerous criminals to roam free on our streets.”
The senators stress that the reassignments have impacted agencies like Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which has successfully rescued nearly 10,000 children from abuse and trafficking through its specialized operations over the past decade. “These rescues rely on highly specialized agents, forensic interviewers, digital-evidence teams, and long-term partnerships with state, local and international law enforcement entities. Yet, entire HSI units have reportedly been reassigned en masse to immigration enforcement, primarily sweeping up immigrants who present no security threat to the U.S.,” reads the letter.
The lawmakers are requesting information on the duration of these assignments, the number of officers involved, and other specifics to be provided by this month.
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