DOJ Abandoned Thousands of Criminal Probes to Prioritize Immigration Enforcement

The Department of Justice shuttered more than 23,000 criminal investigations during the first six months of President Donald Trump’s second term, marking a historic shift in federal enforcement priorities. Under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, the agency abandoned hundreds of active probes into terrorism, white-collar crime, and drug trafficking to reallocate resources toward immigration-related prosecutions. Data analysis reveals that February 2025 saw a record-breaking 11,000 case declinations, the highest monthly total since at least 2004. This pivot represents a significant departure from previous administrations, as the department tripled its immigration caseload while simultaneously declining to pursue thousands of cases involving federal fraud and national security threats.

This strategic overhaul has sparked intense criticism from current and former department staff, with nearly 300 former employees signing an open letter condemning the abandonment of long-standing criminal investigations. Internal memos indicate that the administration intends to move away from traditional corporate and white-collar enforcement to focus on cartels and ideological initiatives. Despite the administration's stated goal of restoring safety and accountability, the mass closure of cases has led to the termination of complex, years-long investigations into nursing home abuse, labor union corruption, and international drug supply chains. As morale plummets among career prosecutors, the department continues to prioritize its new enforcement mandate over the pursuit of diverse criminal activities that were previously considered federal priorities.