Exclusive-Thousands of agents diverted to Trump immigration crackdown

President Donald Trump 's push to reorganize federal law enforcement the most significant since the September 11, 2001 , terrorist attacks is based on interviews with more than 20 current and former federal agents, attorneys and other federal officials.

The U.S. Senate’s No. 2 Democrat , Dick Durbin , described the crackdown as a “wasteful, misguided diversion of resources” The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

The focus on immigration is drawing significant resources away from other crime-fighting departments, according to sources.

Immigration enforcement has been largely the job of just two agencies: Immigration and Customs Enforcement , and Customs and Border Protection , with a combined staff of 80,000 .

Homeland Security Investigations, the top investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security , has been reassigned to immigration enforcement.

In San Diego , the number of people charged in federal court in February with felony immigration crimes more than quadrupled compared to the previous year .

Fewer than 1% of cases brought to prosecutors by the DEA and ATF over the past decade involved allegations that someone had violated an immigration law.

Since January , DEA agents have been ordered to reopen cases involving arrests up to five years old .