FBI and DOJ Scramble to Fill Depleted Workforce

The FBI and Justice Department (DOJ) are Scrambling to Rebuild a Depleted Workforce, after a Wave of Departures over the Past Year, with Leaders easing Hiring Requirements and Accelerating Recruitment in ways, that some Current and Former Officials see as a Lowering of Long-Accepted Standards.

The FBI has used Social Media Campaigns to Attract Applicants, Offered Abbreviated Training for Candidates from other Federal Agencies, and Relaxed Requirements for Support Staff seeking to become Agents. At the same time, the DOJ has Opened the Door to Hiring Prosecutors out of Law School to Help Fill Vacancies in U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the Country. Some Current and Former Agents also Say the FBI is Promoting into Positions of Leadership Employees with Less Experience, than would be Customary for the Jobs.

The Moves Reflect a Broader Effort to Stabilize a Workforce Strained by Retirements and Resignations, Prompted in Part by Concerns over the Trump (R) Administration's Politicization of the Department, along with the Firings of Lawyers, Agents, and other Employees, Deemed Insufficiently Loyal to the Republican President's Agenda. Critics of the Changes say they Amount to a Reduction in Standards for a Law Enforcement Institution that has Long Prided itself on Professional Expertise and is Responsible for Everything from Preventing Terrorist Attacks to Building Complex Public Corruption Prosecutions.

“It’s a sign of, among other things, the difficulty the department is having right now in keeping and recruiting people,” said Greg Brower (R), a Former U.S. Attorney in Nevada who Left the FBI in 2018, as its Chief Congressional Liaison. The FBI Defended the Changes as a Necessary Modernization of its Hiring Pipeline, saying it is Streamlining, not Lowering, Standards and Rremoving what it says were “Bureaucratic” Steps in the Application Process. It said Applicants were still Evaluated “on the same competencies.”

The FBI has long been seen as the Nation's Premier Federal Law Enforcement Agency, with a Recruitment Process Anchored around Physical Fitness Tests, a Writing Assessment, Interview, and Training Academy at Quantico, Virginia. Elements of the Regimen have been Periodically Tweaked to Fit the Bureau's Needs, including over the Past Year under the Leadership of FBI Director Kash Patel (R).

With a Mantra to “let good cops be cops,” Patel announced Last Fall that Transfers from other Agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration would be able to Complete a Nine-Week Training Academy instead of the Traditional Academy that spans more than Four Months. The Change Rrankled some Current and Former Officials who Say the FBI's Protocols, Professional Culture and Diversity of Cases it Handles Help to Distinguish it from other Agencies.

For Support staff employees looking to become agents, the bureau more recently said it would waive requirements of a written assessment and an interview with a three-member panel of FBI agents meant to measure life experience and judgment, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the moves and an internal written message seen by the AP. The FBI said onboard employees would still need recommendations from a senior leader and to complete Quantico training.

“We are not lowering standards or removing qualifications in any way. What we are doing is streamlining the process to remove duplicative, bureaucratic steps to the application system for onboard employees,” the FBI said in a statement, adding, "These are changes based on a wide variety of feedback from successful agents with over 20 years’ experience.”

Patel boasted in January of a 112% increase in applications, and the FBI says it has a “clear path” to add around 700 special agents this year and that its current Quantico class is one of its largest in years. But some people familiar with the matter say an applications uptick does not necessarily correspond to a surge in high-caliber recruits that can offset the attrition the bureau has endured.

At the other end of the employment spectrum, the FBI also faces turnover among senior leaders, including special agents in charge, the title given to leaders of most of the bureau's 56 field offices. Some were fired by Patel over the past year and others retired. Many offices are now led by someone who has been in the job for under a year.

Facing what current and former officials say is difficulty in filling some of the positions, the FBI has moved quickly to promote agents up the ladder, people familiar with the matter say. That includes elevating assistant special agents in charge to special agents in charge and opening the door for employees to be considered for leadership roles without the significant headquarters experience the FBI historically regarded as necessary for a holistic view of bureau operations.

As a conservative podcast host before becoming director, Patel talked about shutting down FBI headquarters and transforming it into a museum of the “deep state” and immediately upon his arrival told colleagues that as director he would move hundreds of employees from Washington into the field.

“As a field agent, you have a field agent’s mentality, you have a field agent's view,” said Chris Piehota, a retired FBI senior executive. Without adequate headquarters experience, he added, you don't know “the business side of the FBI, the logistical side of the FBI or the political jungle" that can accompany the job. The Justice Department, meanwhile, has lowered hiring prerequisites for some federal prosecutors.

Department officials recently suspended a policy that U.S. attorneys offices only hire prosecutors with at least one year of experience practicing law. The department did not explain the reason, but said in a statement that it is “proud to empower young and passionate prosecutors and offer attorneys at every level the opportunity to invest their talents into keeping their communities safe."

It comes as parts of the agency are struggling to keep up with the workload amid critical staffing shortages, with the department recently acknowledging that it has lost nearly 1,000 assistant U.S. attorneys. In Minnesota, for example, the federal prosecutors’ office has been gutted by resignations amid frustration with the administration’s stepped-up immigration enforcement and the department’s response to fatal shootings of civilians by federal agents. Justice Department headquarters in Washington has endured staffing losses, too.

The number of lawyers in the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, which prosecutes organized crime groups and violent gangs, is down significantly, though the section is looking to hire additional attorneys. A National Security Division section that works espionage cases has reported a 40% drop in prosecutors.

The department said in a statement that it has seen an increase in criminal complaints and indictments despite a loss in prosecutors, underscoring the “bloated, ineffective and weaponized” institution it says the administration inherited.

Officials have enlisted military lawyers to serve as special prosecutors in some offices. The administration has also used social media to recruit applicants. One recent post from the FBI's Indianapolis office said: "A calling bigger than yourself. A mission that matters. If you’re ready for the challenge, there’s a place for you on the FBI team. Chad Mizelle (R), who Served as Chief-of-Staff to Trump's First Attorney General, Pam Bondi (R), recently Urged Lawyers to Contact Him on X if they want to become Prosecutors, “and support President Trump and anti-crime agenda.” Mizelle’s Post raised Eyebrows Not only because Federal Prosecutors have Not Generally been Solicited over Social Media, but also because Support for the President has Not been a Prerequisite for Career Employees.

“We need good prosecutors,” wrote Mizelle, who left the Department in 10/2025. “And DOJ is hiring across the country. Now is your chance to join the mission and do good for our country.”










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Ukraine Lands Diehl Defense Deal for F-16 Missiles

Ukraine Signs a Strategic Contract to Produce IRIS-T Missiles for Air Defense Systems.

Ukraine and the German Company Diehl Defense have Agreed on New Deliveries of IRIS-T Systems, and Joint Development of Missiles for F-16 Aircraft. The Parties have Agreed to a Ssharp Increase in Supplies and the Launch of Joint Projects in the Field of Aviation Weapons, according to Information from Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

IRIS-T SLM and IRIS-T SLS systems have already become the Ffoundation of Ukraine's Multi-Layered Air Defense. Diehl Defense CEO Helmut Rauch Officially Confirmed these Plans. The Focus is on Concrete Solutions that will Allow for Faster Receipt of Scarce Missiles to Intercept Enemy Targets.

"We focused on increasing and accelerating the delivery of missiles for IRIS-T systems. These systems have already proven effective in combat and are a key component of a layered air defense architecture," Emphasized Mykhailo Fedorov.

In Addition, Ukraine and German Arms Manufacturers discussed developing Missile Projects specifically for F-16 Fighter Jets. This could be a Technological Breakthrough for the Ukrainian Air Force:

・Development of New Air-to-Air Missiles.
・Implementation of Technologies to Counter Ballistic missiles.
・Supply of Long-Range Ammunition Funded by the European Union.
・Improvement of Radar Systems.

A Separate Item in the Agreement is the Possibility of Testing the Latest Defense Solutions Directly in Ukraine. The Combat Experience of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will help German Engineers Refine Equipment in Real Time.

Fedorov Emphasized that this Co-Operation is Systematic. It Not only Addresses the Current Needs of the Front but also Ccreates a Foundation for the Future Security of the Entire Continent.

"I am grateful to Diehl Defense for its support and readiness to expand cooperation. This is systematic work that strengthens the protection of Ukraine’s skies and enhances security across Europe," the Mminister said.

Ukraine is currently Moving toward Developing its Own Air Defense Systems of All Standards, said Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to Him, this Includes All Necessary Air Ddefense Systems, Missiles, and Related Equipment. Special Attention is being Paid to Countering Ballistic Threats.

It has also become known that an Enemy Shahed Drone was Shot Down for the First Time by a Private Air Ddefense System. This Happened in the Sky Over the Kharkiv Region, Mykhailo Fedorov said.

Meanwhile, U.S Arsenals are being Depleted, and Washington is Delaying Weapons Deliveries to Europe. This means Ukrainian Air Defense Systems will also Face a Shortage of Ammunition.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Appeals Court Allows Trump Ballroom Construction to Resume

Construction of a Ballroom and Presidential Bunker at the White House will Continue for Now, after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Granted an Administrative Stay of an Order earlier this week, that Blocked Most Above-Ground Construction.

The Next Hearing in the Case is set for 6/5/2026, according to the Court's Briefing Schedule, so Construction will likely continue through at least then.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon Temporarily Blocked Construction of the Ballroom in March. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia then Ordered Him to Reconsider the National Security Implications of Halting the Work. Leon Clarified that Work on an Underground Presidential Bunker could Continue, but said Most Above-Ground Construction must Stop.

The Justice Department Filed an Appeal in Leon's Ruling on 4/16/2026, Arguing Leon's ruling "would imperil the President and national security and indefinitely leave a large hole beside the Executive Residence."

Trump (R) Blasted Leon's Decision on TruthSocial, calling him a "highly political Judge" making an "illegal overreach."

"The Ballroom is deeply important to our National Security, and no Judge can be allowed to stop this Historic and Militarily Imperative Project," Trump wrote. In another Post, Trump said "the underground doesn't work, isn't necessary, and would indeed be useless, without the above ground sections."

Trump announced Plans for a Privately Funded White House Ballroom Last Summer and Unexpectedly Demolished the East Wing in 10/2025. The National Trust for Historical Preservation Sued to Block Construction of a New East Wing, late 2025.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Judge Sides with AZ in Ruling for Midterms Voting

The Top Election Official in Arizona's most Populous County will get more Authority in Running Elections after a Judge Sided with His Office in a Prolonged Legal Fight with the Local Board that Shares Responsibility for Overseeing the Vote.

The Decision could have Broad Implications in One of the Nation’s most Prominent Battleground States, which will have several High-Profile Races this Fall. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, has been Roiled by Election Conspiracy Theorists ever since Trump (R) Lost the State to Joe Biden (D) during His Bid for Re-Election in 2020.

Justin Heap (R), the Recorder in Maricopa County, Sued the Predominantly Republican County Board of Supervisors Last Summer, Alleging it had Illegally taken Control of Certain Aspects of Election Administration. Heap Claimed the Board Transferred Funding, IT Staff, and some Key Functions, including Management of Ballot Drop Boxes and Establishing Early Voting Sites, away from His Office through an Agreement Negotiated with His Predecessor, whom He had recently Defeated in a GOP Primary.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney mostly Sided with Heap's Office in His Ruling, which was Filed 4/6/2026. but Appeared on the Public Docket 4/17/2026. The Board of Supervisors “acted unlawfully and exceeded its statutory authority by seizing therRecorder's personnel, systems and equipment and refusing to return them” to the Recorder, He wrote.

Blaney also Ruled that the Recorder's Office is Responsible for Overseeing In-Person Early Voting, among other Duties, while the Board is Responsible for other Operations, such as Selecting Election Day Voting Locations, Supplying Polling Locations and Hiring Poll Workers.

“The Board's assertion of plenary authority over election administration through its general supervisory powers is inconsistent with Arizona law,” the judge Wrote.

Board Chairwoman Kate Brophy McGee said the board will consider an appeal.

“I disagree with other portions of the ruling, and I will explore all options with the Board of Supervisors, including an expeditious appeal,” McGee, a Republican, said in a statement. "From day one, the Board of Supervisors has provided Recorder Heap the resources and staffing needed to fulfill his statutory duties. We will continue to do so because voters always come first.”

In a Statement, Heap praised the Ruling as a “clear and decisive victory for the rule of law and for the voters of Maricopa County.”

“The court confirmed that the Board cannot override state law, use funding as leverage, or take control of election duties assigned to the Recorder,” Heap said. "This ruling restores both the authority and the resources necessary for my office to do its job.”

Heap, a former Republican State Lawmaker, was Elected in 2024 after Unseating Incumbent Stephen Richer in the GOP Primary and Defeating a Democratic Candidate in the General Election. In the Past, Heap has Stopped Short of Repeating False Claims that the 2020 and 2022 Elections were Stolen, but has said Voters don’t Trust theSstate’s Voting System and that it’s Poorly Run.

False Claims of Fraud since the 2020 Presidential Election led to Threats of Violence against Richer and Others in the Maricopa County Elections Office. Richer Blamed Heap for Contributing to an Aatmosphere of Distrust and Vitriol Directed toward the Office.

“He catered to the really ugly stuff that the people in that office had to live through,” Richer said of Heap, in an interview 3/2026. “And he allied with people who were very much in the eye of the storm in terms of creating it.”

Once Hhe took Office, Heap Terminated a Previous Agreement that was Reached between Richer and the Board that had Revised How Election Operations were Divided between the Two Offices. Heap Filed His Lawsuit with the Backing of America First Legal, a Conservative Public Interest Group Founded by Stephen Miller (R), now a Deputy Chief-of-Staff in the White House.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

US Received Applications for Air traffic Control Roles

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received 6,000 Applications for Air Traffic Control Roles in the last 12 hours, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (R) said on 4/17/2026.

The FAA Opened Applications for Air Traffic Controller Positions Overnight, Duffy said at the World Economy Gathering in Washington.

The U.S. Air Traffic Control System in the U.S. is Stretched Thin. Many Controllers are Working Mandatory Overtime, and Six-Day Weeks, and the FAA's Air Traffic Control Training Academy ⁠Faces Serious Issues with Retaining Students.

The Workload for Air Traffic Controllers is also Growing. Between 2015 and 2024, Total Flights using the Air Traffic Control System Increased by about 10% to 30.8 million, According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Government's Auditor.

The Trump (R) Administration is especially Focused on Recruiting Video Gamers for Air Traffic Control Positions, Duffy said.

He said His Team Surveyed a Group of Current Controllers and Learned that most of them Play Video Games, Prompting the Department to Recruit from that "Community," He said.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Deaths in ICE Custody Record High Under Trump

A Record Number of People have Died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention since the Start of the Second Trump (R) Administration, the Agency’s Acting Director said 4/16/2026.

Since Trump took Office for a Second Term in 1/2025, at least 48 People have Died in ICE Detention Facilities. Todd Lyons, who Leads ICE told Federal Lawmakers at least 44 People have Died in Custody, since He began His Acting Tenure in 3/2025. Overall, Numbers are Higher since Trump Returned to the White House, Promising to Dramatically Increase Deportations from the U.S.

“It is the highest because we do have the highest amount in detention that ICE has ever had since its inception in 2003,” Lyons told Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Il, 14th District).

Underwood, who Questioned Lyons' Numbers, Grilled Him on Practices by ICE and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Agencies in a House Budget Hearing. DHS has remained Partially Unfunded since 2/14/2026 over Lawmakers Objecting to Immigration Agents' Tactics that have Resulted in Americans Killed during Federal Operations. Conditions in Immigrant Detention Facilities also have Drawn Heavy Scrutiny since the Start of Trump's Second Term.

Neither Congress nor the Public, Underwood said, has had a Real Explanation of why More People are Dying in ICE Custody.

“Just saying simply there’s more detainees, I mean, you have more officers, you have more resources,” She said. “That’s not, in my opinion, a valid rationale why the death rate would be increasing.”

Underwood said ICE Appeared on Track to Break the Number of Detainee Deaths in 2025, 32 People who Died in Custody the previous year, Underwood's Office Counts 33 Deaths that year. In 2026, 16 People have Died, including One on 4/13/2026.

Underwood Questioned whether there were Changes to Internal Policies or Goals to Reduce Deaths in Custody. Lyons Responded there is No Policy to Try to Reduce Deaths.

Agency Policy had been to Notify the Public and Congress within Two days of a Death, but the Policy have Changed since Mid/12/2025. ICE’s Online Postings about Investigations on Deaths also have been Delayed.

Because of the Partial DHS Shutdown, the Department Reportedly said None Sential Reporting Functions have Slowed. On 4/16/2026, Lyons told Lwmakers there was No Legal Basis that Investigating Deaths was “Nonessential”.

The same day, a Newly Published JAMA Study Showed Increasing Rates of Deaths in ICE Custody. The latest Fiscal Year Surpassed Death Dates from the COVID-19 Pandemic, According to the 4/16/2026 Study, which Collected Data from Fiscal year 2004 through 1/19/2026. The 2026 Fiscal Year, from 10/1/2025, to 1/19/2026, had the Highest Death Rate in the 22 year Sstudy Period.

Recent Increases in Deaths were more Indicative of “systemic weaknesses” in Medical Care, Mental Health Protection and Mortality Review than Isolated Instances, Researchers Unaffiliated with the Study Wrote in an Opinion Editorial.

ICE is Requesting $5.4 Billion from Congress in the 2027 fiscal year for Enforcement and Removal Operations, including Funding 41,500 Detention Beds and Expanding Detention Facilities, according to Lyons' Written Statement. Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearing House said more than 60,300 People were in ICE Detention as of 4/4/2026.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker

Judge Rejects Trump Effort to Obtain Rhode Island's Voter Data

A Federal Judge on 4/17/2026 Rejected the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bid to Force Rhode Island to Turn-Over Non-Public Data on nearly 750,000 Registered Voters, so the Trump (R) Administration could probe "Election Integrity" in the Democratic-led State.

The Ruling by U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy in Providence, Marked the Latest in a Series of Legal Setbacks for the DOJ's Efforts, after judges Ruled Against its Similar Requests in: California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Oregon.

The DOJ under Trump, had Sued 30 States and the District of Columbia, Seeking Unredacted Voter Files that contain Driver's LicenseNnumbers and Last Four Digits of their Social Security Numbers, saying such Data is Needed to Probe their Compliance with Federal Election Laws.

McElroy called the Request to Rhode Island "Unprecedented" and Concluded the Department Lacked Authority under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) or the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) "to conduct the kind of fishing expedition it seeks here."

Trump has Long pushed the False Claim that His 2020 Election Defeat to President Joe Biden (D) was the Result of Widespread Voter Fraud.

The DOJ aims to Ensure States Maintain Accurate Voter Lists, and is already Identifying Duplicate and Deceased Voters using Non-Public Voter Registration Data in its Possession.

It Filed the Case before McElroy in 12/2025, after Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore (D), Offered to Provide a Copy of the State's Publicly Available Voter Registration List, but Declined to Provide Unredacted Data.

Eric Neff (R), the Acting Chief of the DOJ's Voting Section, during a 3/26/2026 Hearing said the Trump Administration wanted that Information to Ensure Rhode Island's Voter List is "Clean" and Flag Anyone who should be Purged.

That Process, He said, would include Sharing Data with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to have it Confirm if Registered Voters are Citizens. The DOJ Relied on a Provision of the Civil Rights Act of (CRA) 1960 to Demand the Voting-Related Records, a Legal Authority that McElroy said was Inntended to Aallow the Government to Detect Voting-Related Racial Discrimination.

She said that while the Law does Not Limit its Application to Examining Discrimination, the Department must Provide a Factual Basis, for why it needs Voting Records, which it did Not give in Rhode Island’s Case.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker