Democrat accuses Trump administration of diverting 'critical resources' from fighting organized retail theft

"Federal law enforcement also has an important role to play, but we must acknowledge this administration has announced different priorities. Instead of combating crimes like I described, the Trump administration has diverted critical resources toward the president's mass deportation agenda," Durbin said. 

"Homeland Security Investigations, better known as HSI, plays a leading role in combating criminal networks and organized crime, including organized retail theft. But under this administration, HSI has been diverted toward rounding up immigrants, many of whom pose no threat whatsoever to this country," Durbin added. 

Durbin cited a recent report saying "HSI supervisors have waived agents off new cases so they have more time to make immigration enforcement arrests." 

"One veteran agent said 'no drug cases, no human trafficking, no child exploitation.' It's infuriating. Instead, he said, HSI is 'arresting gardeners.' These are not the actions of an administration serious about combating crime," Durbin concluded. "Diverting federal resources endangers Americans and leaves us less equipped to target and disrupt criminals like those in organized retail theft." 

During the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, titled "Beyond the Smash and Grab: Criminal Networks and Organized Theft," chairman and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he has seen a "continued rise in organized retail and supply chain crime and the criminal networks that are involved in that criminal activity. 

"We've all seen videos of mobs ransacking stores of thousands of dollars of goods and doing it in a very short period of time," Grassley said. 

"The reality is, some of the worst criminal organizations --  including cartels, terrorists and human traffickers -- use this type of crime, funding their misdeeds or launder[ing] ill-gotten proceeds," Grassley added, noting that "Homeland Security investigators estimate that the average American family will pay more than $500 annually in additional costs, due to the impact of organized retail crime." 

Donna Lemm, the chief strategy officer at IMC Logistics, told lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday that "Cargo theft is robbing our supply chain to the tune of $35 billion per year." 

"A few years ago, cargo theft was barely on my company's radar. In 2021, we had five cargo thefts reported. In 2024, we had 876 cargo thefts reported. That's a 17,520% increase," Lemm said. 

"Our partner railroads share with us drone footage of thieves cutting air brakes, containers strewn across the desert, and criminals emptying these containers in minutes," she added.