NEW YORK — A new analysis from The New York Times found that federal law enforcement priorities under the Trump administration shifted substantially, resulting in a surge of immigration arrests while gun- and drug-related enforcement sharply declined.
According to the New York Times report, federal priorities have shifted and resulted in more immigration arrests, and fewer for drugs and weapons. Current and former federal officials stated that Homeland Security special agents have been diverted from drug and gun cases to pursue undocumented immigrants instead.
The NYT accrued data from October 2024 to September 2025 based on information in reports from Homeland Security Investigations, the subdivision of the Department of Homeland Security that deals with crime. The data covers about four months of the Biden administration and eight months of the Trump administration.
These reports show that “the number of people arrested by Homeland Security special agents for immigration offenses went from roughly 5,000 to a new record of 94,500.”
Data also shows 15 percent fewer open investigations into narcotic-related crimes, as well as an 11 percent decrease in narcotics arrests. Alongside that, the amount of weapon seizures “fell dramatically,” from about 41,400 to less than 11,200, a reduction of more than 70 percent.
The NYT, however, found that criminal arrest numbers soared by 41 percent to more than 45,000. Open investigations were most often immigration-related, such as human smuggling and trafficking.
In a previous report, the NYT found that Homeland Security Investigations’ work on “crimes such as child exploitation or terrorism financing had faltered” as a result of agents being tasked with the immigration crackdown under the current Trump administration. Some officials reported the crackdown has interrupted their ability to focus on other non-immigration cases.
The extent of change under the current federal administration is seen as Homeland Security Investigations, which typically handles fraud, drugs, or sex trafficking, takes on immigration violations. A subdivision of ICE, called Enforcement and Removal Operations, usually handles immigration-related cases.
The NYT reports that Homeland Security Investigations’ acting leader John A. Condon called the immigration arrests “a monumental achievement that underscores your commitment to mission” in an email to employees.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated the numbers of weapon seizures and drug arrests fluctuate yearly, and that the data showed success in making arrests. Jackson states, “The Trump administration is making America safer than ever before.”
The NYT found that “while the agency made significantly more criminal arrests this year, the number of people indicted stayed roughly flat.”
In addition, child exploitation cases, a priority target for the department, experienced a 28 percent decrease in indictments. Special agents “rescued roughly 300 fewer victims, a 17 percent drop.” Some special agents stated they worked these child exploitation cases in their personal time.
Based on documents reviewed by the NYT, other federal agencies have “reassigned thousands of agents to help arrest undocumented immigrants.” These agencies include the FBI, DEA, and ATF. These agencies are also tasked with numerous drug- and weapon-related crimes.
The NYT states the current federal administration planned to “prioritize the fight against narcotics smuggling.” Justice Department spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre stated federal agents and prosecutors are still “acutely focused” on pursuing cartels and traffickers.
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