The FBI has directed agents to prioritize immigration enforcement over white-collar crime cases, marking a significant shift in federal law enforcement priorities under the Trump administration. According to internal sources, field offices have instructed agents to allocate approximately one-third of their time to immigration-related matters, while scaling back financial crime investigations through at least 2025.
The policy change coincides with new Justice Department guidance narrowing the scope of white-collar prosecutions. The Criminal Division, led by Matthew Galeotti, has ordered prosecutors to focus on specific high-priority areas including healthcare fraud, trade violations, and money laundering tied to Chinese criminal networks, while minimizing broader corporate investigations. Prosecutors are now required to carefully assess whether corporate misconduct warrants federal action.
This realignment reflects the administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which has increasingly mobilized federal agencies for border security and deportation efforts. Attorney General Pam Bondi has previously signaled plans to reduce prosecutions for foreign bribery and kleptocracy cases. The DOJ has also adjusted its whistleblower program to incentivize tips related to cartels, immigration violations, and terrorism financing rather than traditional white-collar crimes.
The strategic shift comes as the administration continues scaling back corporate oversight, including early termination of several corporate monitorships. While the full impact remains unclear, the changes suggest a lasting transformation in how federal agencies balance immigration enforcement against financial crime investigations.
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