Today, the Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Benjamine Huffman, issued a directive aimed at enhancing immigration law enforcement by extending certain powers to officials within the Department of Justice (DOJ). This move is seen as an effort to advance President Trump's commitment to increasing deportations.

The directive grants DOJ law enforcement officials, specifically those in the U.S. Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Federal Bureau of Prisons, the authority to investigate and apprehend individuals residing illegally in the United States.

A spokesperson for DHS stated: “Thanks to the last Administration’s open border policies, we’ve seen violent criminals and gang members terrorize American communities. Today’s action empowers law enforcement officials at the DOJ to help identify and apprehend aliens who have illegally come into our country. Mobilizing these law enforcement officials will help fulfill President Trump’s promise to the American people to carry out mass deportations. For decades, efforts to find and apprehend illegal aliens have not been given proper resources. This is a major step in fixing that problem.”

The initiative reflects ongoing efforts by current administration figures to address what they describe as insufficient past resources allocated toward immigration enforcement.