The U.S. Department of Justice plans to increase staffing in border regions to support President Donald Trump‘s crackdown on illegal immigration, despite a federal hiring freeze, according to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
In a memo sent to department staff on Thursday, Blanche outlined the plan to hire more prosecutors for cases involving illegal entry into the U.S., human and drug trafficking, and cartel activities. The goal is to strengthen enforcement in areas with high levels of immigration-related crimes.
Blanche explained that border districts play a critical role in these efforts. The hiring exemption will apply to U.S. attorney’s offices along the U.S.-Mexico border, including Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and southern California. The exemption will also extend to regions near the Canadian border, such as Vermont and New York, as well as Florida, where illegal immigration has been rising.
This initiative marks a significant shift in the Justice Department’s priorities under Trump, focusing more on immigration-related issues. The department has already instructed prosecutors to reduce efforts in areas like foreign bribery and covert influence in favor of pursuing immigration crimes.
Blanche, who was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday and sworn in on Thursday, emphasized that prosecutors should bring the most serious charges available in immigration-related cases. He also encouraged attorneys at the department’s Washington headquarters to volunteer for transfers to border districts. If there are not enough volunteers, some prosecutors will be required to transfer.
In addition to immigration cases, federal prosecutors will target terrorism-related offenses involving cartels designated by Trump as foreign terrorist organizations. They will also investigate local officials and advocacy groups accused of obstructing federal immigration enforcement and harboring undocumented immigrants.
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