
President Donald Trump’s administration has taken a significant step to enhance immigration enforcement by granting authority to several federal law enforcement agencies to detain and deport illegal immigrants. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman announced the directive, which enables thousands of officers outside of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol to assist in immigration operations.
The new authorization extends enforcement powers to agents within the U.S. Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bureau of Prisons. These agencies, which previously had limited roles in immigration enforcement, can now assist in tracking and detaining individuals residing in the country unlawfully.
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 stated that the measure aligns with Trump’s commitment to securing the border and removing individuals who entered illegally. She emphasized that past efforts lacked adequate resources to address the scale of the issue and that this directive would mobilize additional manpower.
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
With this expansion, an estimated 31,000 officers are now available to support ICE and Border Patrol, boosting the current force of approximately 40,000 personnel. While it remains unclear how many of these officers will be actively deployed, the directive provides the framework for a broader enforcement effort.
🚨 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 actions have already demonstrated the administration’s intent. In a single day, authorities reported over 530 arrests in multiple cities, including individuals linked to violent gangs and sex crimes. These operations come after Trump ended policies that previously allowed migrants to be released into the U.S. while awaiting court hearings.
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
Federal law enforcement agencies are now preparing for an increased role in immigration enforcement, with internal memos instructing personnel to identify cases involving noncitizens and coordinate with DHS to process removals.
🚨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