The White House is moving to grant deportation authority to more federal agents, including those in the DEA and ATF, according to a memo cited by the Wall Street Journal. This expanded enforcement, part of Trump's immigration agenda, raises concerns about resource constraints and core missions.
As part of the president's long-held pledge to make immigration a fundamental element of his second-term program, the Trump administration wants additional federal agents to be armed with the power to carry out deportations, according to a letter that was read by the Wall Street Journal. This is part of the president's plan to make immigration a central part of his agenda.
This includes providing agents from several government agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service, with the authority equivalent to that of an immigration officer, as reported by the Journal.
The directive was issued in the form of an internal memo that was written by Benjamine Huffman, who is acting as the Secretary of Homeland Security. This is the most recent change in the government's attitude on immigration that the Trump administration has made this week.
According to the Journal, a person familiar with the subject stated that administration officials are arranging for the Justice Department to collaborate by lending certain agents. This is despite the fact that the memo does not directly deputize those agents to assist with President Trump's planned deportation effort.
According to the journal, the ATF and DEA have traditionally avoided participating in immigration enforcement activities, with the exception of situations in which there are other breaches involving firearms or drug trafficking.
Officials in these agencies have been complaining for a long time that they are already struggling to find the resources they require to carry out their primary goals, which include the enforcement of drug laws and the prevention of violent crime. According to the Journal, the addition of police immigration crimes would add even more work to their already full plates.
On Tuesday, Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove authorized federal prosecutors around the country the authority to pursue municipal officials for hindering immigration enforcement activities. This authorization was given to federal prosecutors, The Raw Story points out.
The statement that the Pentagon would send 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border was made on Wednesday, and according to accounts in the media, this came after the Pentagon made the announcement.
