‘Patel needs to wake up’: FBI director shredded for dismantling agency’s spy hunting abilities
The immigration crackdown has left FBI poorly equipped officials say
- The Trump administration has reassigned thousands of FBI agents to immigration cases, diverting them from their usual anti-crime and national security duties.
- Former top FBI agents warn that these reassignments, coupled with plans to relocate agents, are severely weakening the U.S.'s counterintelligence capabilities against threats from nations like China and Iran.
- Robert Anderson, former head of FBI counterintelligence, described the situation as a 'disaster,' while Frank Montoya, Jr. stated the focus on deportations has 'put a disaster in play.'
- Internally, active-duty and retired agents have criticised the FBI under Director Kash Patel, calling it a 'rudderless ship' suffering from 'paralysing leadership.'
- The FBI is also contending with multiple lawsuits from agents alleging political firings and is involved in turf wars over a proposed House bill to place the Director of National Intelligence in charge of U.S. counterintelligence.