Key Takeaways
• Nearly 45% of agents in the 25 largest FBI field offices now focus full-time on immigration enforcement.
• Over 6,000 immigration-related arrests were made nationwide by the FBI from January 20 to May 2025.
• FBI budget faces a 5% cut while key areas like counterterrorism lose manpower to immigration priorities.
The FBI has received a major order: place much more attention and manpower on immigration enforcement than ever before. This move marks a huge change in the way America’s biggest law enforcement agency uses its people and its field offices. The change comes as the White House has also proposed to cut the FBI’s budget by 5%. Beginning in May 2025, nearly half the agents in the 25 largest FBI field offices across the United States 🇺🇸 are supposed to work full-time on jobs related to immigration enforcement.
This new plan is the result of a directive from President Trump. The Justice Department has told the FBI to put immigration issues at the top of its list, even though, in the past, this was not one of the bureau’s main jobs. Many are now asking: What does this mean for the FBI, for crime investigations, and for those affected by increased immigration enforcement?
Major Change in FBI Priorities
Until now, the FBI has mostly focused on things like terrorism, cybercrime, and financial fraud. Immigration enforcement has been part of the job, but never the main purpose. That has now changed. By ordering about 45% of the agents in the largest field offices to focus full-time on immigration enforcement, the government is making this area a main concern for the FBI.
This is a big shift in responsibility, and it has ripple effects throughout the agency. Many field offices are finding that they have to set aside other work in order to meet the demands of the administration. The FBI has said that, in addition to regular tasks, agents must now spend about a third of their time supporting the government’s push to crack down on illegal immigration and visa overstays.
What Is Immigration Enforcement?
When people talk about immigration enforcement, they mean enforcing the rules about who can enter and stay in the country. This includes finding and arresting people who are in the United States 🇺🇸 without legal permission—sometimes because they crossed the border without permission, other times because they stayed after their visas expired.
Before this new push, most hands-on enforcement was handled by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Now, though, the FBI is joining these efforts much more actively, working side-by-side with agents from DHS and ICE.
If you want to see the federal rules about this process, you can check the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement page for details.
Where Are FBI Field Offices Focusing Their Efforts?
Field offices all over the country are involved. In places like Seattle, which covers the states of Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, the FBI has already removed 361 undocumented individuals in the early months of 2025. Since January 20, 2025, across the nation, the FBI has made over 6,000 immigration-related arrests.
Agents in these field offices are not working alone. They often team up with ICE and DHS during large-scale operations. One key example is “Operation Allied Corridor,” which is led by ICE. During this operation, the FBI’s role is to help enforce the Title 8 priorities—these focus on quickly finding and removing people without legal status in the country.
This increased activity is not happening everywhere at the same level, but all the biggest field offices—the ones with the most agents—are now expected to follow these new requirements. And the push is very much in line with orders coming directly from the administration.
Effect on Other FBI Responsibilities
Many people are now worrying about what these new duties mean for the rest of the FBI’s work. So far, signs suggest there are real costs.
First, the bureau is moving agents away from things like counterterrorism, preventing cyber-attacks, and fighting organized crime and fraud. These have always been the areas where the FBI is most involved. By putting almost half the agents in its largest offices on immigration enforcement full-time, there is less time, money, and manpower available for those critical jobs.
Second, the FBI has deprioritized white-collar crime. White-collar crime includes offenses like embezzlement and securities fraud (basically, financial crimes typically carried out by businesspeople or government officials). Agents have apparently been told to scale back on these cases for at least the rest of 2025.
Third, there has been an official requirement that all agents devote about one-third of their working hours—hours they used to spend on other investigations—to support the renewed crackdown on illegal immigration.
These changes are raising eyebrows across the country. Critics say that, while immigration enforcement is important, it should not come at the expense of the bureau’s main mission: keeping the country safe from major crimes and security threats.
What Does This Mean for People and Communities?
For people and communities across the United States 🇺🇸, this policy shift is already causing worry. Many community groups and immigration advocates have said the changes could make some neighborhoods less safe. For example, some people who are undocumented—or even just worried about being suspected—might not report crimes or seek help if they are victims, out of fear they will be caught up in immigration operations.
This is already happening in some places, according to agents and local crime prevention groups. When people fear that any contact with the FBI or police could lead to immigration problems, cooperation with law enforcement drops. That makes it harder to solve crimes or prevent them in the first place.
At the same time, there is anxiety about people being targeted for removal only because they overstayed a visa, not because they committed any crime. The Trump administration’s focus on “full-time” immigration enforcement includes targeting these individuals, even when they have no criminal record.
The Numbers: Putting the Changes in Perspective
- In the Seattle field office, 361 undocumented people were removed early in 2025.
- Across the country, more than 6,000 immigration-related arrests were made by the FBI between January 20, 2025, and May 2025.
- Around 45% of agents in the 25 biggest field offices must now work full-time in immigration enforcement.
- Agents in these offices are expected to spend about a third of their time supporting the current administration’s immigration crackdown.
These numbers show just how big the shift has been in a very short time.
Why This Matters Now
One reason this story is especially important is that it comes at a time when the government is planning to cut the FBI’s budget by 5%. With less money to go around, shifting more people to immigration work could leave other important areas short-staffed. Many experts say that with fewer resources and less staff available for crimes like cyber-attacks, fraud, and terrorism, criminals might find new openings.
Also, putting more resources into immigration enforcement means other federal agencies might need to take on more of the crime-fighting work the FBI normally does. That could lead to less coordination and more mistakes.
Pushback and Debate
Not everyone agrees with the new approach. Immigration advocates have warned that making immigration enforcement a top FBI duty weakens trust between immigrant groups and law enforcement. They argue that when people fear being deported simply for talking to the police, the public is less safe.
On the other hand, some government officials argue that more aggressive immigration enforcement is needed now more than ever. They point to worries about border security, national security concerns, and claims that visa overstays are a growing problem.
Within law enforcement, there are also disagreements. Some agents say that taking people away from jobs like counterterrorism and organized crime investigations is risky. They fear that criminals or terrorists could take advantage of the FBI’s new focus, knowing there are fewer eyes watching.
Working with Other Agencies
The FBI is not working alone. It is partnering with the Department of Justice, ICE, and especially the Department of Homeland Security. These agencies share information, plan coordinated operations, and sometimes carry out joint raids and arrests. Operation Allied Corridor is a good example, as it combines efforts from several agencies to focus on Title 8 priorities, such as finding and removing people present in the country without permission.
The Department of Homeland Security, in particular, sets many of the policies that the FBI now has to follow in its expanded immigration role. This partnership means decisions made at DHS strongly influence what happens at the FBI’s field offices.
Changes in Routine, Training, and Focus
This turnaround in priorities also means the FBI has had to change how it trains and assigns agents. Many agents now must learn more about immigration law, how to spot document fraud, and how to work with ICE and DHS officers in the field.
In some places, this also creates tension between federal and local law enforcement. Local police often rely on the FBI for help with serious criminal cases. Now, with so many agents moved to immigration work, police departments might have to wait longer for assistance or go without it.
Community Impact and Concerns
As reported by VisaVerge.com, some community leaders worry that the focus on immigration could make people less likely to ask for help or report crimes. They point to stories of victims of domestic violence or witnesses to serious crimes being afraid to talk to police because they fear deportation or other immigration consequences.
Other concerns are more practical. If the FBI field offices are short-staffed for regular crime fighting, some crimes might not get investigated at all, or might take much longer to solve. This could have a long-term impact on safety and justice in some cities and states.
Looking Ahead
Nobody knows yet exactly how long this change in focus will last, or what its full effects will be. Some believe it might be temporary, lasting only while the current administration is in office. Others think it could continue for years, especially if the focus on border security and immigration enforcement remains a top government priority.
For now, the directive is clear: the FBI and its field offices must spend much more time and energy on immigration enforcement, even if it means setting aside other important cases. The hope, according to administration officials, is that these efforts will help control illegal immigration and make the country safer.
However, with budgets shrinking and crime changing in new and unpredictable ways, the long-term effect of pulling the FBI’s attention away from its usual missions remains to be seen.
Final Thoughts
In summary, the recent directive has led to sweeping changes across FBI field offices throughout the United States 🇺🇸. Immigration enforcement now takes center stage for many agents, at a time when the agency is also facing budget cuts.
- Nearly half of the agents in the largest field offices must focus full-time on immigration enforcement.
- Key areas like counterterrorism and fraud are likely to receive fewer resources as a result.
- Communities and advocacy groups are raising concerns about the effects on safety, trust, and access to justice.
Whether this is the beginning of a long-term change for the FBI is not yet known. What is certain is that this move is shaking up the usual work of the country’s top criminal investigators and pushing immigration enforcement to the very top of the agenda.
For updates on enforcement policy and field office activities, readers can visit the official FBI’s resources page. As the situation develops, both experts and everyday people will be watching to see how this shift affects law enforcement, public safety, and the wide range of people impacted by immigration policy across the nation.
Learn Today
Immigration Enforcement → The process of ensuring laws about entry and stay in the U.S. are followed, including identifying and removing unauthorized individuals.
Field Office → A regional branch of the FBI handling federal investigations and enforcement within a specific geographic area.
White-collar Crime → Non-violent financial crimes, like fraud or embezzlement, usually committed by professionals or officials.
Visa Overstay → When someone remains in the country beyond the time allowed by their official visa.
Operation Allied Corridor → A joint law enforcement operation led by ICE and involving the FBI to prioritize immigration removals under Title 8.
This Article in a Nutshell
In a dramatic shift, the FBI must now focus nearly half its agents in major field offices on immigration enforcement. This directive, alongside a 5% budget cut, sidelines traditional priorities like counterterrorism and fraud. Communities worry about safety and trust. The full impact of these changes remains uncertain.
— By VisaVerge.com
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