The administration announced that the FBI will no longer investigate claims of assault against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The administration announced that the FBI will no longer investigate claims of physical assault against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. According to reports, FBI managers received written notice of the change on Thursday, and agents across the country were notified by their FBI counterparts. Under the new guidance, Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of ICE, will likely handle these investigations. Because this agency lacks the jurisdiction to investigate civil rights violations, critics argue the change allows ICE to effectively investigate itself. This shift may reduce the likelihood that agents who shoot unarmed people will be scrutinized for breaking federal law. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have denied that any official policy change occurred, stating the FBI will continue to investigate according to agency policy. The shift comes as the administration faces scrutiny over recent fatal shootings, including the deaths of Mexican immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Colombian man Joan Sebastian Guerrero.