The FBI is reportedly shifting thousands of agents away from immigration enforcement to focus on counterterrorism, following U.S. military strikes on Iran and rising concerns over potential retaliation.
According to CBS News and ABC News, a memo was distributed in the last 48 hours to FBI field office directors across the country, directing them to prioritize counterterrorism efforts. Sources say the realignment could involve thousands of agents as the agency intensifies efforts to monitor domestic and foreign threats linked to the escalating conflict.
While an FBI spokesperson declined to comment on operational details, they told The Independent:
“We continuously assess and realign our resources to respond to the most pressing threats to our national security and to ensure the safety of the American people.”
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the shift during remarks at the National Sheriffs’ Association conference in Florida on Monday.
“Given what just happened, our immediate focus must be on protecting the homeland and our communities,” he said.
Reversing a Trump-Era Shift
The move comes in response to mounting concerns from within the bureau. Under Trump’s previous crackdown on immigration, the FBI had reassigned many agents to support immigration-related operations — a change that drew internal criticism, with agents warning that it weakened the bureau’s counterterrorism focus.
ABC News reports that several FBI employees had voiced frustration about being pulled off counterterrorism work to focus on immigration cases.
Heightened Threat Warnings
On Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security’s National Terrorism Advisory System issued a bulletin warning of a “heightened threat environment” in the U.S. due to the Iran conflict. The alert warned of possible cyberattacks by pro-Iranian hackers and retaliation from Iranian-linked extremists targeting U.S. officials, referencing Iran’s ongoing anger over the 2020 killing of one of its top military commanders.
“The likelihood of violent extremists independently mobilizing inside the U.S. could rise if Iranian leaders call for retaliatory violence,” the bulletin stated.
Trump’s Response: “They Don’t Know What the F*** They’re Doing”
President Donald Trump, who ordered the recent strikes, lashed out Tuesday after a ceasefire between Israel and Iran collapsed within hours. Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump blamed both sides for violating the deal:
“Iran violated it, but Israel violated it too. Right after the agreement, Israel dropped a load of bombs the likes of which I’ve never seen. The biggest load ever,” he said, visibly angry.
“They’ve been fighting so long and so hard, they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”
The ongoing instability in the Middle East — paired with threats of cyberattacks and domestic radicalization — has now prompted the FBI to return its focus to counterterrorism as a top national security priority.
