By Harshit, Washington, D.C. | October 15, 2025 | 6:40 AM EDT
Federal agents across the United States are shifting their focus away from gun crimes and illegal weapons trafficking as the Trump administration intensifies its nationwide crackdown on undocumented immigrants. According to current and former officials and internal data reviewed by CNN, this shift has severely weakened the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)’s ability to monitor firearms dealers and enforce gun safety laws.
Mass Reassignments Leave ATF Stretched Thin
The ATF, which traditionally investigates gun crimes and regulates firearms dealers, has reassigned nearly 80% of its special agents to immigration-related cases as part of President Trump’s directive deploying 23,000 federal officers to assist with deportations and city patrols. The redirection of personnel has left the bureau struggling to carry out its primary mission of controlling illegal gun trafficking, a former senior ATF official told CNN.
Other agents have been dispatched to federal operations in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and other major cities, as part of the administration’s efforts to reinforce local policing and border security.
“They’re de-regulating an industry that sells tools that can take people’s lives in seconds,” said one ATF investigator, speaking anonymously out of fear of retaliation. “We’ll have guns getting into the hands of people who definitely shouldn’t have them.”
Sharp Drop in Gun License Revocations
The shift in focus has coincided with a dramatic drop in enforcement actions against gun dealers.
ATF has reportedly not revoked a single firearms dealer’s license during the first four and a half months of this year, marking a potential 90% decline from 2024, when 195 licenses were revoked under the Biden administration.
Officials blame both staff reductions and new internal rules that make it harder to penalize dealers who violate federal law, including those who skip mandatory background checks. The bureau has already lost one in seven firearms license investigators to retirements and budget cuts this year — and under Trump’s proposed budget, 550 of the remaining 600 investigators could be eliminated.
“This isn’t just about fewer cases,” said one former ATF supervisor. “It’s about gutting the infrastructure that keeps guns out of the hands of dangerous people.”
Ripple Effects Across Federal Law Enforcement
The ATF is not the only agency feeling the strain. According to internal documents reviewed by CNN and data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), criminal referrals to the Department of Justice have dropped across multiple agencies:
- DEA cases fell by 8.6% compared to last year.
- ATF referrals declined by about 2%, though insiders suggest the true number is higher, as many agents are now logging immigration-related arrests instead of firearms or drug crimes.
The FBI has also reassigned 23% of its agents to immigration duties, including 45% of personnel in its 25 largest field offices. Nearly all agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of ICE, have been redirected toward deportation operations. Similarly, about three-fourths of DEA agents and a third of U.S. Marshals have been reassigned.
Critics argue that this redirection is undermining the country’s ability to address violent crime and the drug epidemic. “The administration’s singular focus on immigration has come at a steep cost to public safety,” said a former DOJ official familiar with the matter.
White House Defends Strategy
The White House defended the reassignment of agents, arguing that the redeployment has helped capture gang members and strengthen law enforcement coordination nationwide. “The President promised to restore law and order,” a White House statement read. “Federal officers have played a vital role in supporting deportations, disrupting violent gangs, and enforcing the law.”
Trump, who secured reelection on a platform of mass deportations and tougher immigration control, has repeatedly claimed that the surge in federal deployments is reducing crime and restoring safety in American cities.
However, internal reports suggest otherwise. Law enforcement experts warn that the decline in firearms oversight could lead to an increase in illegal gun sales and deadly shootings, particularly as unlicensed dealers exploit the enforcement gap.
Concerns Over Public Safety and Oversight
Gun control advocates and several members of Congress have criticized the administration’s policies, saying they undermine years of work aimed at tightening firearms regulation.
Virginia Senator Mark Warner released data showing the extent of the reassignments, warning that “neglecting gun crimes to chase immigration quotas” could lead to a public safety crisis.
ATF insiders echoed that concern. “We’re not tracking gun traffickers, not inspecting dealers, and not investigating violent offenders,” said one current agent. “It’s only a matter of time before that negligence shows up in rising crime statistics.”
For now, with thousands of federal agents diverted from their traditional posts, the ATF’s ability to enforce gun laws remains in question — and experts warn that the effects of this shift could ripple through the country for years to come.
