According to reporting from the New York Times, the FBI will no longer investigate incidents involving ICE agents, transferring that responsibility to Homeland Security Investigations—an internal division of ICE itself. Although the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice have denied the policy change, the shift comes during heightened scrutiny of fatal shootings by ICE agents in Maine and Texas, along with reported intimidation of witnesses following these incidents.

The change raises significant accountability concerns, particularly because Homeland Security Investigations lacks jurisdiction to investigate civil rights violations. Currently, FBI inquiries sometimes produce evidence against officers that can be used in subsequent prosecutions, whereas government assault charges against protesters have a mixed success rate, with nearly half ending in acquittal or dismissal. Concentrating investigative power within ICE effectively removes an independent oversight layer, substantially reducing the likelihood that shootings of unarmed individuals or other civil rights breaches will face federal legal consequences.