In a significant move to bolster the government’s deportation efforts, the Trump administration announced late Thursday the deputization of thousands of additional federal law enforcement members to arrest immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status.

Typically, two agencies are responsible for enforcing the intricate Title 8 immigration laws: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates within the country, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection focuses on the borders.

On Thursday, Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Benjamine Huffman, broadened the scope of federal law enforcement officials authorized to investigate and apprehend immigrants. It remains unclear how many officers will be reassigned for these immigration duties.

“Deploying these law enforcement personnel will support President Trump’s commitment to the American public regarding mass deportations,” Huffman stated. “For years, efforts to track down and detain undocumented immigrants have lacked adequate resources. This is a significant advancement in addressing that issue.”

Huffman granted permission for officials from the Department of Justice, including U.S. Marshals, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, to engage in immigration enforcement.

Former Homeland Security employees noted that involving officers from other agencies could enhance the capacity to deport undocumented individuals. However, they expressed worries about competition among agencies and the risk of civil rights violations due to the complexities of immigration law.

“They’re leveraging these resources to amplify their efforts,” said Carlos Archuleta, who worked at ICE for over thirty years and retired as the country attaché to Mexico for Homeland Security Investigations.

Concerns about inter-agency rivalry are “definitely valid,” he added. “There’s also the risk of civil rights issues if officers aren’t well-versed in the law.”

Currently, approximately 6,000 ICE deportation agents oversee a daunting case load of over 7.6 million immigrants without legal status in the country. Under the Biden administration’s directive, ICE prioritized arrests of individuals posing threats to public safety and national security.

This week, President Donald Trump and Congress, through the new Laken Riley Act, shifted the focus of immigration enforcement to include a broader range of undocumented individuals, even those with minor criminal offenses, requiring detention for those accused of or convicted of lesser crimes.

The broadened authority means that thousands of DOJ officials and agents could potentially be involved in Trump’s plans to deport millions of unauthorized immigrants. In 2022, the ATF had approximately 2,500 special agents, while the DEA reported having 4,600 special agents in 2021. Additionally, there were over 3,600 U.S. Marshals and deputy U.S. Marshals in 2020.

It remains uncertain how many DOJ law enforcement personnel will be redirected to focus on immigration enforcement.

“These agencies are not typically engaged in that role,” remarked Pete Hermansen, a retired Border Patrol agent and sector chief for over twenty years.

Each agency has its own objectives, such as addressing drug and weapons trafficking and safeguarding federal judges and judiciary facilities.

Hermansen noted that there is some overlap for DEA and ATF, as their investigations into trafficking often intersect with those involved in smuggling and immigration violations.

He couldn’t recall an instance where this kind of deputization had been implemented, except for specific task forces.

“It’s not a common practice,” he concluded.