
President Donald Trump has authorized a significant increase in immigration enforcement by directing federal law enforcement agencies to assist in apprehending illegal immigrants. A directive issued by acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman allows various Justice Department agencies to engage in immigration-related operations that were previously limited to DHS officers.
Under the new order, officers from the U.S. Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bureau of Prisons have been granted authority to detain individuals in violation of immigration laws. This move provides a major boost to federal efforts to locate and deport those who entered the country illegally.
Is this a much better use of @ATFHQ agents?@realDonaldTrump is trying to amass a larger force of law-enforcement officials to carry out deportations by granting agents across the federal government the same powers as immigration officershttps://t.co/GC35Igvek7
— John R Lott Jr. (@JohnRLottJr) January 23, 2025
Huffman emphasized that the directive is a critical step toward resolving the ongoing immigration crisis and ensuring that law enforcement agencies have the tools needed to carry out their duties effectively. She noted that the move addresses the lack of resources that has hindered past enforcement efforts.
The Trump administration has authorized the DEA, ATF and the US Marshals to begin making immigration arrests and processing deportations, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal.
The move gives those federal agents the same authority as those with Homeland Security… pic.twitter.com/nmYYQHgAdT
— Crime In NYC (@CrimeInNYC) January 24, 2025
The additional support from these agencies adds approximately 31,000 officers to the immigration enforcement team, strengthening the capacity of existing personnel at Border Patrol and ICE, which currently have around 40,000 agents.
🚨 BREAKING:
President Trump has now given the ATF, DEA, and U.S. Marshals Service the ability to arrest illegals, per WSJ..
This instantly added almost TEN THOUSAND new federal agents to the deportation squad…
They’re ALL going back ! pic.twitter.com/eJRRoQitdK
— Viktorija (@TrumpGirl44) January 25, 2025
Recent enforcement efforts have already resulted in the apprehension of hundreds of illegal immigrants in major cities across the country, including criminals with ties to violent gangs and drug trafficking organizations. The administration has focused its efforts on sanctuary cities and areas with high concentrations of illegal immigrants.
Trump grants deportation powers to ATF, DEA, and U.S. Marshals! 🇺🇸 Agencies tackling drugs and weapons now stepping into immigration enforcement. The border fight just leveled up. pic.twitter.com/Aa2HxECT3r
— TexanonX™ (@TexanonX) January 23, 2025
Trump’s administration continues to roll out aggressive measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration, with more actions expected to follow in the coming weeks.
🚨Update: Trump empowers all Justice Department agents to deport illegal migrants — WSJ. The newspaper noted that DEA and ATF employees had not been involved in immigration enforcement, except where there are gun-related or drug-trafficking crimes!! pic.twitter.com/dSr4bu8OqB
— US Homeland Security News (@defense_civil25) January 23, 2025