Senators question DOJ on reassignment of thousands of personnel to immigration enforcement

Senators including Gary Peters, Lindsey Graham and others pressed Attorney General Pamela Bondi about a recent administration effort to shift more than 5,000 personnel across federal law enforcement — reportedly about 2,000 from within the Justice Department — to boost immigration apprehensions and related enforcement.

Senator Peters said career officials and agents on the ground reported that hundreds of FBI agents and other personnel were reassigned to immigration work, raising concerns this could pull resources away from counterterrorism and cybersecurity investigations. "Given the attacks on Iran . . . this issue has become even more salient," Peters said, asking whether national-security work would be compromised.

Bondi said the department coordinates daily, including with the FBI and national-security officials, and that she speaks frequently with Director Patel. She argued that immigration enforcement "goes hand in hand" with national-security work because foreign nationals who enter illegally can pose other threats, and said DOJ had set up 24/7 centers and task forces to coordinate responses. "Will national security be compromised? Not at all, senator. It will be increased," she said.

Senator Graham urged continued resources for immigration prosecutions, saying DOJ needs additional funding to carry out President Trump's enforcement priorities. Bondi and several senators cited the ‘‘big beautiful bill’’ reconciliation package discussed in the hearing as a possible source of additional funding for prosecutions and reimbursing states.

Why it matters: committee members representing law-enforcement and national-security interests warned that reassigning personnel without adequate backfill could reduce capacity on high-priority investigations. Bondi stressed coordination with national-security partners and said DOJ is balancing enforcement priorities across terrorism, cyber, drug, and immigration threats.

Ending: The subcommittee requested more detail on the scope and duration of personnel reallocations and on how DOJ will ensure counterterrorism and cybersecurity missions remain staffed.