WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Justice Department sharply reduced its criminal caseload in early 2025, closing tens of thousands of investigations as it redirected resources toward immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
According to an analysis by ProPublica, the DOJ declined to prosecute more than 23,000 criminal cases during the first six months of President Donald Trump’s second term. These “declinations” included investigations into terrorism, drug trafficking, white-collar crime, labor corruption, and fraud.
The spike represents a significant shift compared to prior administrations, including Trump’s first term. In February 2025 alone, prosecutors declined nearly 11,000 cases, the highest monthly total in at least two decades. Former prosecutors told investigators that while case reviews are routine, a directive to review and close thousands of cases within 10 days was highly unusual.
The department simultaneously increased immigration prosecutions, filing about 32,000 new cases during the same period, nearly triple the number under the Biden administration. DOJ leadership said the changes reflect a strategic reprioritization, emphasizing immigration enforcement, drug cartels, and other national security concerns.
Critics, including former prosecutors and a group of nearly 300 former DOJ employees, argue the shift may undermine enforcement in areas such as fraud and terrorism. Data reviewed in the report shows more than 1,000 terrorism-related cases and over 900 federal fraud cases were declined, even as those issues were publicly emphasized by the administration.
A DOJ spokesperson said the increase in declined cases was partly due to efforts to review older investigations and improve case management efficiency. The department maintained it remains committed to prosecuting crimes and protecting public safety.
The analysis is based on DOJ data and records compiled through public information requests, covering more than two decades of federal case activity.
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