Thousands of employees from U.S. federal agencies have been directed to search for and deport illegal migrants due to the policies of President Donald Trump's administration. This situation is pushing the agencies' other important crime-fighting tasks to the back burner. Reuters reported on this.
The priorities of law enforcement agencies are changing
Federal agents who have been combating violence against children, money laundering, drug trafficking, and other crimes are now focusing primarily on finding and deporting individuals who violate immigration rules.
Tereza Cardinal-Brown, a former employee of the Department of Homeland Security, says about this process: "I have never seen such a significant force dedicated to immigration enforcement."
She emphasizes that prioritizing the fight against migrants has pushed the core tasks of law enforcement agencies to the background. However, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch has denied this, stating that "the fight against all crimes is ongoing."
How are federal agencies being involved?
Even some agencies that were previously unrelated to immigration policy are participating in raids against illegal migrants. For example, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has also been involved in this process.
According to Reuters sources, since Trump's inauguration, nearly 80 percent of about 2,500 federal agents have been assigned immigration-related tasks. They are primarily engaged in locating and apprehending individuals living illegally in the U.S.
The social and legal implications of the issue
Trump promised to carry out mass deportations during his election campaign. Since he took office, tens of thousands of people have been arrested for violating immigration rules.
This situation is causing temporary detention facilities to become overcrowded and increasing the burden on prosecutors and courts. Nevertheless, the Trump administration intends to continue implementing strict measures in immigration policy.
Immigration policy in the U.S. is significantly affecting the activities of the country's law enforcement agencies. Due to federal agencies being involved in identifying and deporting illegal migrants, the priority of fighting other crimes has decreased. This situation is leading to sharp debates and discussions regarding the country's immigration policy.
