FBI Shifts Focus From Immigration to Terrorism Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is moving resources off immigration cases and back to counterterrorism, citing potential threats after the US launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and helped broker a ceasefire between Iran and Israel following nearly two weeks of fighting.
FBI Director Kash Patel said Monday the bureau’s top priority is now stopping possible retaliation inside the US. He warned that the threat of lone actors, sleeper cells and foreign-backed plots has grown.
“Right now the focus, given the nature especially of what just happened, has to be on protecting the homeland and protecting our communities,” Patel told the National Sheriffs’ Association conference in Florida.
A new Department Homeland Security bulletin warns of a “heightened threat environment” fueled by rising tensions in the Middle East, as well as the lingering fallout from the 2020 killing of Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. Iran and Israel on Tuesday appeared to be honoring the US-backed ceasefire announced a day earlier by President Donald Trump, despite reports of scattered early violations.
Just weeks ago, the FBI had redirected agents to immigration enforcement, drawing resources away from terrorism, counterintelligence and fraud investigations. The bureau was among several federal agencies — including the Drug Enforcement Administration and the US Marshals Service — enlisted in the Trump administration’s broader push to carry out mass deportations.
Earlier this month, Trump deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests over his immigration crackdown. Since then, Guard units have also accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on raids across the greater LA area.
Patel didn’t say whether the FBI’s previous immigration directives had been formally rescinded. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment on operational details but said the agency “continuously assesses and realigns” resources based on evolving threats.
In his remarks, Patel accused the Biden administration of allowing “thousands of known or suspected terrorists” into the US through lax screening at the border, and said the bureau is now focused on tracking them down. “We now have prioritized looking for them,” he said.
Patel said the bureau is relying more heavily on sheriffs and local departments to detect emerging threats, describing them as the “best ground-level intelligence” available.
“And if you do it town by town by town by town, then it replicates,” he said. “And then it has an effect that is cascading onto the rest of the country.”
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
