A report by The New York Times on Sunday triggered widespread reaction after claiming the FBI had issued a new directive limiting its role in investigating confrontations involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and people accusing them of violence.
According to The New York Times, federal agents nationwide were informed last week that the FBI would no longer investigate such incidents. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the report said FBI managers received written instructions on Thursday, while some ICE personnel were notified by their FBI counterparts the same day.
“If enacted, such a change would sharply limit law enforcement scrutiny of immigration agents, as the Trump administration draws mounting criticism over killings at the hands of federal officers,” the report stated.
The reported directive followed the fatal shootings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston and Joan Sebastian Guerrero in Biddeford involving ICE agents. The incidents have fueled protests in several states, including North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, Texas and Maine. At one demonstration in Maine, a protester held a sign reading, “a man was lynched here.”
The US Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security rejected the report’s claims in a joint statement.
“The relationship between D.H.S. and D.O.J. in investigating assault on federal officer cases has not changed,” the statement said. “This administration has been clear, anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The report prompted sharp reactions from across the political spectrum.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, wrote, “WOW. The Trump admin just barred the FBI from investigating cases where DHS officers get into confrontations with immigrants or citizens. ICE HSI will lead all investigations, yet HSI has no jurisdiction to investigate civil rights violations. The fox is guarding the henhouse.”
Jim Roberts, editor of the nonprofit news outlet The 74, described the administration as “an utterly lawless administration.”
Conservative commentator Andrew Alvarez, however, supported the reported move, writing, “Finally getting the feds out of the way so ICE can do their job without constant harassment.”
Separately, David Brouillette, the ICE agent involved in the fatal shooting of Guerrero in Maine, has faced allegations of harassment from two former wives, according to media reports. His ex-wife, Ashley Brouillette, told CBS News, “I don’t understand how he keeps getting these jobs where there are firearms involved. He’s a danger to people and to himself…And I just don’t understand how he keeps getting away with it.”
As the report gained traction online, FBI Director Kash Patel did not directly address the claims. Instead, he posted a photograph with the FBI team assigned to the FIFA World Cup, writing, “So proud of this FBI and all our partners.”
