Federal agents who usually hunt down child abusers are now cracking down on immigrants who live in the U.S. illegally.

Homeland Security investigators who specialize in money laundering are raiding restaurants and other small businesses looking for immigrants who aren’t authorized to work.

Agents who pursue drug traffickers and tax fraud are being reassigned to enforce immigration law.
As U.S. President Donald Trump pledges to deport “millions and millions” of “criminal aliens,” thousands of federal law enforcement officials from multiple agencies are being enlisted to take on new work as immigration enforcers, pulling crime-fighting resources away on other areas − from drug trafficking and terrorism to sexual abuse and fraud.
This account of Trump’s push to reorganize federal law enforcement – the most significant since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks – is based on interviews with more than 20 current and former federal agents, attorneys and other federal officials. Most had first-hand knowledge of the changes. Nearly all spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss their work.

“I do not recall ever seeing this wide a spectrum of federal government resources all being turned toward immigration enforcement,” said Theresa Cardinal Brown, a former Homeland Security official who has served in both Republican and Democratic administrations. “When you’re telling agencies to stop what you’ve been doing and do this now, whatever else they were doing takes a back seat.”
In response to questions from Reuters, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the U.S. government is “mobilizing federal and state law enforcement to find, arrest, and deport illegal aliens.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation declined to respond to questions about its staffing. In a statement, the FBI said it is “protecting the U.S. from many threats.” The White House did not respond to requests for comment.