{"id":121861,"date":"2026-04-08T06:48:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:48:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/trumps-justice-department-dropped-23000-criminal-investigations-to-focus-on-deportations\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T06:49:55","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T06:49:55","slug":"trumps-justice-department-dropped-23000-criminal-investigations-to-focus-on-deportations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/trumps-justice-department-dropped-23000-criminal-investigations-to-focus-on-deportations\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Justice Department Dropped 23,000 Criminal Investigations To Focus On Deportations"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\n

from the criminal-masterminds<\/i> dept<\/h3>\n

This story was\u00a0originally published<\/a>\u00a0by ProPublica.<\/em>\u00a0Republished beneath a\u00a0CC BY-NC-ND 3.0<\/a><\/em>\u00a0license.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<\/p>\n

Within the first days after Pam Bondi was appointed lawyer normal final yr, the Division of Justice started shutting down pending felony circumstances at a file tempo.<\/p>\n

The circumstances included an investigation right into a Virginia nursing house with a latest file of affected person abuse; probes of fraud involving a number of New Jersey labor unions, together with one opened after a high official of a nationwide union was accused of embezzlement; and an investigation right into a cryptocurrency firm suspected of dishonest buyers.<\/p>\n

In complete, the DOJ quietly closed greater than 23,000 felony circumstances within the first six months of President Donald Trump\u2019s administration, abandoning a whole lot of investigations into terrorism, white-collar crime, medication and different offenses because it shifted sources to pursue immigration circumstances, in response to an evaluation by ProPublica.<\/p>\n

The majority of those circumstances, which have been closed with out prosecution and often known as declinations, had been referred to the DOJ by legislation enforcement companies beneath prior administrations that believed a federal crime could have been dedicated. The DOJ routinely declines to prosecute circumstances for any variety of causes, together with inadequate proof or as a result of a case is just not a precedence for enforcement.<\/p>\n

However the variety of declinations beneath Bondi marks a hanging departure not solely from the Biden administration but in addition the primary Trump time period, in response to the ProPublica evaluation, which examined twenty years of DOJ knowledge, together with the primary six months of Trump\u2019s second time period. ProPublica decided the rise is just not the results of inheriting a bigger caseload or extra referrals from legislation enforcement.<\/p>\n

In February 2025 alone, which included the primary weeks of Bondi\u2019s tenure, almost 11,000 circumstances have been declined, essentially the most in a month since a minimum of 2004. The earlier excessive was simply over 6,500 circumstances in September 2019, throughout Trump\u2019s first administration.<\/p>\n

A number of the circumstances shut down have been the results of yearslong investigations by federal companies such because the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration. For complicated circumstances, the DOJ can take years earlier than deciding whether or not to carry fees.<\/p>\n

The shift comes because the DOJ has undergone a unprecedented overhaul beneath the Trump administration, with total models shuttered, directives to desert pursuit of sure crimes and 1000’s of attorneys quitting or, in some circumstances, being pressured out of the company.<\/p>\n

In doing so, the DOJ is retreating from its mission to impartially uphold the rule of legislation, preserve the nation secure and defend civil rights, in response to interviews with a dozen prosecutors and an\u00a0open letter from nearly 300 DOJ employees<\/a>\u00a0who’ve left the division beneath Trump. The Trump DOJ, the workers wrote, is \u201ctaking a sledgehammer\u201d to long-standing work to \u201cdefend communities and the rule of legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The change in priorities was outlined in a collection of memos despatched to attorneys early final yr. Trump\u2019s DOJ\u00a0has said<\/a>\u00a0it’s \u201cturning a brand new web page on white-collar and company enforcement\u201d and emphasizing the pursuit of drug cartels, unlawful immigrants and establishments that promote \u201cdivisive DEI insurance policies.\u201d Trump,\u00a0in an address last March<\/a>\u00a0on the division, mentioned the modifications have been vital after a \u201cgive up to violent criminals\u201d throughout the previous administration and would end in a restoration of \u201chonest, equal and neutral justice beneath the constitutional rule of legislation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The division prosecuted 32,000 new immigration circumstances within the first six months of the administration, which was almost triple the quantity beneath the Biden administration and a 15% improve from the primary Trump time period. It has pursued fewer prosecutions of almost each different kind of crime \u2014 from drug offenses to corruption \u2014\u00a0than new administrations of their first six months courting again to 2009.<\/p>\n

The DOJ has additionally closed a whole lot of circumstances involving alleged crimes that the administration has publicly emphasised as enforcement priorities. Even because the Trump administration unleashed Elon Musk\u2019s Division of Authorities Effectivity operatives to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the federal authorities, the DOJ declined over 900 circumstances of federal program or procurement fraud. About 3 times as many circumstances of main fraud towards the U.S. have been declined beneath Trump in contrast with the typical of comparable time durations beneath prior administrations. And whereas the Trump administration has promised to \u201cmake America safe again<\/a>,\u201d its DOJ has declined greater than 1,000 terrorism circumstances, additionally greater than prior administrations.<\/p>\n

Federal prosecutor Joseph Gerbasi had spent years within the division\u2019s Narcotic and Harmful Drug Part serving to construct circumstances towards main suppliers of fentanyl substances in India and China. After Bondi got here in, he was left bewildered when his staff was ordered to desert its work.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the constructing blocks of what would turn into profitable prosecutions have been pulled out,\u201d mentioned Gerbasi, who retired because the part\u2019s appearing deputy chief for coverage in March 2025 after 28 years with the division.<\/p>\n

The transfer had an \u201coverwhelming deflating impact on morale,\u201d he mentioned.<\/p>\n

\"chart<\/figure>\n

Barbara McQuade, who labored as a federal prosecutor in Michigan for twenty years till 2017 throughout Republican and Democratic administrations, mentioned it was commonplace for brand spanking new administrations to come back to workplace with a number of \u201cpet priorities\u201d \u2014 comparable to a concentrate on violent crime or drug trafficking. However she mentioned these modifications normally concerned modest changes in coverage and that a lot of the choices on what crimes to concentrate on have been sometimes made on the native stage by the district U.S. lawyer in coordination with the FBI or different companies.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’d revise these about each 5 years, not having something to do with any administration, simply because it made sense,\u201d she mentioned.<\/p>\n

A DOJ spokesperson, in an emailed response to questions in regards to the spike in declinations, mentioned that in \u201can effort to scrub, remediate, and validate knowledge in U.S. Attorneys\u2019 case administration system,\u201d the division reviewed all pending felony issues opened previous to the 2023 fiscal yr, which included updating the standing of closed circumstances. \u201cThis Division of Justice stays dedicated to investigating and prosecuting all sorts of crime to maintain the American individuals secure, and the variety of declinations is a direct results of our efforts to run the company in a extra environment friendly method.\u201d<\/p>\n

The company didn’t reply to questions in regards to the sorts of circumstances declined.<\/p>\n

The spike of declined circumstances started in February 2025 when the division ordered prosecutors to assessment each open case launched previous to October 2022 and decide whether or not to shut it. Such a assessment would sometimes take months, in response to one lawyer tasked with reviewing circumstances. A memo, which was described to ProPublica reporters, ordered the assessment to be accomplished inside 10 days.<\/p>\n

Former DOJ prosecutors advised ProPublica that they sometimes reviewed caseloads each six months with supervisors and that closing out languishing circumstances wouldn\u2019t ordinarily be trigger for concern. They mentioned the February directive, nonetheless, was uncommon. None may recall an identical order.<\/p>\n

The directive got here as higher-ups within the division had begun making frequent calls for for knowledge about particular sorts of circumstances and charging choices, comparable to the result of fentanyl circumstances, in response to former prosecutor Michael Gordon. Gordon, who helped prosecute Jan. 6 circumstances earlier than shifting to white-collar crime prosecutions, mentioned the \u201cfireplace drills\u201d from officers in Washington grew to become so common that he grew used to the forlorn look on his supervisor\u2019s face when he confirmed up at Gordon\u2019s door, apologetically delivering one more frantic request.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was both \u2018give us stats we will use to make ourselves look good\u2019 or \u2018give us the stats to indicate how dangerous issues are on this space,\u2019\u201d Gordon mentioned. \u201cIt was by no means productive fact-finding.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Gordon didn\u2019t see the memo, he remembered getting the request to assessment all circumstances that had been open for greater than two years and report again on their standing, coming into right into a grasp spreadsheet primary details about any that he wished to maintain pursuing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe workplace was pushing us to shut the whole lot by a sure date in order that after they needed to report as much as D.C. they’d a low variety of open circumstances,\u201d he mentioned. \u201cYou actually needed to go to bat to maintain open a case that was greater than two years outdated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gordon mentioned he was fired by the DOJ final June. He has filed a lawsuit alleging his termination was politically motivated. The division didn’t reply to questions on Gordon\u2019s feedback or his lawsuit. The federal government\u00a0filed a motion<\/a>\u00a0to dismiss the case late final yr, arguing that the federal court docket didn’t have jurisdiction over the matter. The court docket has not but dominated on that movement, and the case remains to be pending.<\/p>\n

Investigations into people or firms declined for prosecution are typically not reported to courts and normally solely disclosed in abstract type by the DOJ in annual stories. To conduct its evaluation, ProPublica obtained declination knowledge from the DOJ and the Transactional Data Entry Clearinghouse, a middle that obtains knowledge by Freedom of Info Act requests.<\/p>\n

\"chart<\/figure>\n

Listed below are a number of the areas most impacted by the spike in declinations.<\/p>\n

Medicine<\/h3>\n

As president, Trump has spoken incessantly in regards to the \u201cscourge<\/a>\u201d of medicine coming into the nation. On the identical time, the Justice Division has declined to prosecute almost 5,000 circumstances of federal drug legislation violations, together with trafficking and cash laundering. The variety of declinations have been 45% increased than the typical of the prior three new administrations.<\/p>\n

Gerbasi, the counternarcotics prosecutor, declined to touch upon particular circumstances which may have been declined in his workplace. However, he mentioned, as soon as Bondi was appointed, the precedence within the workplace grew to become constructing circumstances towards Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan group that the Trump administration has labeled a international terrorist group.<\/p>\n

\u201cTren de Aragua was not wherever near the size or influence of the cartels we have been centered on,\u201d Gerbasi mentioned. \u201cHowever we have been advised to generate these circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

He mentioned his workplace needed to scramble to fly individuals to analyze native gangs in small cities that have been reportedly affiliated with Tren de Aragua. \u201cThey by no means would have merited a full-scale federal investigation,\u201d he mentioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt advised me that choices have been going to be based mostly on political appearances and never based mostly on the deserves of the place investigative sources must be positioned.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DOJ declined to touch upon Gerbasi\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n

\"Chart<\/figure>\n

Nationwide Safety<\/h3>\n

Below Bondi, the DOJ declined greater than 1,300 circumstances involving terrorism and nationwide safety, almost twice what was typical firstly of the latest new administrations. Whereas home terrorism was the hardest-hit program, simply over 300 circumstances involving fees of offering materials assist to international terrorist organizations have been additionally dropped.<\/p>\n

The DOJ program dealing with issues regarding nationwide inside safety \u2014 which considers circumstances of alleged spy exercise and the safety of labeled info \u2014 noticed over 200 declinations, which is 4 occasions as many as typical within the first six months of a brand new administration. A number of the circumstances associated to serving as an unregistered international agent, a cost\u00a0Bondi ordered prosecutors to stop pursuing<\/a>\u00a0until they concerned \u201cconduct just like extra conventional espionage by international authorities actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jimmy Gurul\u00e9, a former federal prosecutor and George W. Bush appointee to the U.S. Treasury Division who investigated the financing of terrorism, mentioned the decline in terrorism circumstances was troubling.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Trump DOJ has been used as a political weapon,\u201d he mentioned. \u201cIt\u2019s a query of prioritizing sources. Are they going for use for nationwide safety threats or to prosecute his political enemies and critics?\u201d The DOJ didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Gurul\u00e9\u2019s remarks.<\/p>\n

Labor<\/h3>\n

The DOJ shut down over 60 union corruption and labor racketeering circumstances, 2.5 occasions the quantity in Trump\u2019s first time period. Practically half of the circumstances turned down for these offenses have been out of the New Jersey U.S. lawyer\u2019s workplace, which prior to now has aggressively pursued alleged union corruption. All have been famous as declined for inadequate proof.<\/p>\n

Most of these circumstances had been opened by Grady O\u2019Malley, an assistant U.S. lawyer who oversaw a number of prosecutions of union corruption whereas working within the New Jersey workplace over 4 many years. He retired in 2023 and was disturbed to study from former colleagues that the workplace was shutting down the open union probes.<\/p>\n

A Trump supporter, O\u2019Malley mentioned that whereas he doesn\u2019t blame the president, he worries the choice to drop so many circumstances may embolden unions that he and his colleagues spent years working to carry accountable. \u201cNobody is assigned to do labor union circumstances, and the unions have each purpose to imagine nobody is trying.\u201d<\/p>\n

The New Jersey U.S. lawyer\u2019s workplace mentioned it had no touch upon the declination of labor circumstances.<\/p>\n

White-Collar Crime<\/h3>\n

The Trump administration has pledged to root out\u00a0\u201crampant\u201d fraud<\/a>\u00a0in federal profit packages like meals stamps and welfare. The controversial surging of federal brokers to Minnesota in January started as a acknowledged crackdown on noncitizens allegedly ripping off vitamin and little one care packages.<\/p>\n

The DOJ, nonetheless, shut down greater than 900 circumstances of federal program or procurement fraud within the first six months of the administration, together with one concentrating on a mortgage lender accused by a number of state regulators of defrauding the Federal Housing Administration. The case was dropped attributable to \u201cprioritization of federal sources and pursuits.\u201d The U.S. lawyer\u2019s workplace for the Northern District of Alabama, which declined the case, didn’t reply to a request for remark. The variety of fraud circumstances closed was about double that in the identical time interval of the Biden and first Trump administrations.<\/p>\n

The company additionally closed over 100 well being care fraud circumstances on account of \u201cprioritization of sources and pursuits\u201d although the Trump administration has mentioned it’s making this space of enforcement\u00a0a priority<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Amongst different circumstances the DOJ decided weren\u2019t a precedence: the probe into the Virginia nursing house accused of abuse, in addition to investigations in Tennessee into fraud at a nationwide hospital chain and one of many largest Medicaid managed care firms.<\/p>\n

The Western District of Virginia U.S. lawyer\u2019s workplace, by a spokesperson, declined to touch upon the nursing house case. A spokesperson for the U.S. lawyer within the Center District of Tennessee mentioned the workplace doesn’t touch upon investigations that don’t end in public fees.<\/p>\n

The DOJ\u2019s Antitrust Division, which focuses on stopping huge companies from creating dangerous monopolies, additionally declined an unusually excessive variety of circumstances in Trump\u2019s second time period. Greater than 40 circumstances have been dropped inside the first six months of Bondi\u2019s tenure. That\u2019s greater than double the quantity declined in the identical time interval by the prior three new administrations.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the declinations, the division mentioned it charged barely extra individuals with fraud in 2025 in contrast with the ultimate yr of the Biden administration, and people circumstances alleged bigger monetary losses.<\/p>\n

Guarantees Saved<\/h3>\n

The DOJ beneath Bondi has additionally quickly pursued lots of the priorities specified by Trump\u2019s early govt orders and her personal \u201cfirst day\u201d directives to workers.<\/p>\n

Trump in February 2025 issued an govt order pausing new investigations beneath the International Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits residents and corporations from bribing international entities to advance their enterprise pursuits. The order requested the lawyer normal to assessment and \u201ctake acceptable motion\u201d on any current probes to \u201cprotect Presidential international coverage prerogatives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Within the first six months, Bondi\u2019s DOJ shut down 25 such circumstances, which is greater than the mixed quantity dropped by the prior three new administrations over the identical time interval. One of many circumstances declined for prosecution concerned a significant automobile producer, which had reported attainable anti-bribery violations to federal investigators involving a international subsidiary. The DOJ declined the case for prosecution final June, citing the \u201cprioritization of federal sources and pursuits.\u201d<\/p>\n

On her first day, Bondi\u00a0ordered a review<\/a>\u00a0of felony prosecutions beneath the Freedom of Entry to Clinic Entrances, or FACE Act, which prohibits individuals from illegally blocking entry to abortion clinics and locations of worship. The division dropped as many circumstances beneath the act in its first six months because the previous three new administrations mixed, over the identical timeframe. Bondi\u2019s order centered on \u201cnon-violent protest exercise,\u201d though a minimum of one of many closed circumstances was being investigated as a violent crime. The DOJ has since charged protesters towards Immigration and Customs Enforcement and journalists in Minneapolis beneath the FACE Act. The defendants within the case have pleaded not responsible.<\/p>\n

The company closed 3 times the variety of circumstances alleging environmental crimes because the Biden administration did and one-and-a-half occasions as many as in contrast with Trump\u2019s first time period. The declinations got here because the DOJ reassigned and minimize prosecutors engaged on environmental circumstances. One-fifth of all the dropped environmental safety circumstances have been shut down for \u201cprioritization of federal sources and pursuits.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\tFiled Below: crime<\/a>, declined cases<\/a>, donald trump<\/a>, immigration<\/a>, investigations<\/a>, pam bondi<\/a>
\n\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n