# Ice Has Diverted over 25,000 Officers from Their Jobs 

Diverting law enforcement away from their duties investigating terrorist threats, child trafficking, and violent crimes to arrest people for minor violations of civil law makes Americans less safe.

September 4, 2025 • News Releases 

The Cato Institute’s [David Bier](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fdavid-bier/1/0100019915b00af9-850da214-6603-4ef9-aa8a-1af5afd7fb7d-000000/JbISkHcRDM9suKflgm7YLFeOSEk=442___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOmVmM2ZmODFjZTY0ODEwMTk4ZTBlNGIzYmUyMjAwMjMzOjc6MzY3MTo3MGY2MjFiYTRmNzI2NTdkMTBlYTdiYzM1MDllYTJiYTE4NDY2YzE0YzI2OGYxZjA4YTZlYTJkNmFkYjRkZTkyOmg6VDpO) has obtained new data showing that ICE has diverted at least 25,000 officers into its mass deportation efforts. In a [new blog post](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Fice-has-diverted-over-25000-officers-their-jobs/1/0100019915b00af9-850da214-6603-4ef9-aa8a-1af5afd7fb7d-000000/sFqwyWXkm5Mgpjdrvb4DCS2aetg=442___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOmVmM2ZmODFjZTY0ODEwMTk4ZTBlNGIzYmUyMjAwMjMzOjc6NTJiMDowYmVhMzJhN2NiNGQ5ZjQ4OTVkZDY4NGQ5MDk4NDYwYjk0NzQ1NzE4OWM3ODEzNWExNjI2MWE4ODU5ZmExMjhkOmg6VDpO), Bier highlights how widespread this misuse of government personnel and resources is.

Diverting law enforcement away from their duties investigating terrorist threats, child trafficking, and violent crimes to arrest people for minor violations of civil law makes Americans less safe, Bier writes. Congress should prevent this diversion of appropriated funds in the next government spending bill.

![ICE diverted agencies](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/2025-09/ice-enforcement-and-removal-operations-is-diverting-thousands-of-law-enforcement-personnel.png?itok=2gVcqDGZ) 

You can read the full piece [here](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Fice-has-diverted-over-25000-officers-their-jobs/2/0100019915b00af9-850da214-6603-4ef9-aa8a-1af5afd7fb7d-000000/bXxROC_ZbNvhZzyif3vdIHN2nb0=442___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOmVmM2ZmODFjZTY0ODEwMTk4ZTBlNGIzYmUyMjAwMjMzOjc6NzZiYTo0MDZmM2VmNmQ4ZTExZmViNzk5MWFlNjI2ODBkNDdmODY1NTZhMDI3YjM5ZWM0MTMzYjhlMzM2NjYwZjI5ZDZkOmg6VDpO). If you would like to speak with Bier, please contact [pr@​cato.​org](mailto:pr@cato.org) to set up an interview.

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