KEY POINTS
- The memo indicated that a merger of the two agencies will help ‘achieve efficiencies in resources’
- Todd Blanche has ordered DOJ officials to provide their feedback on the proposal by April 2
- The memo did not provide specific details on how the merger will be implemented
The U.S. Justice Department is considering the feasibility of merging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a new report revealed Thursday, aligning with President Donald Trump’s order to federal agencies to streamline their operations.
The DOJ’s leaders are also considering whether field offices handling antitrust, environmental, and civil cases should be eliminated, Reuters reported Thursday, citing a March 25 memo.
Possible Agency Merger to Improve Operations?
According to the memo, merging the two agencies would help “achieve efficiencies in resources, case deconfliction and regulatory efforts,” suggesting that Justice Department leaders see the merger as a positive change.
An unnamed official told the outlet that the memo represents an initial proposal that seeks to solicit feedback from the department’s leaders.
The official added that merging the DEA and ATF will need congressional approval.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has also confirmed that he ordered DOJ department officials to provide feedback on the proposals laid out in the memo by April 2.
The Associated Press also reported Thursday that the memo did not provide details on how the two critical agencies will be combined, nor did the document provide specifics on how the employees within the two agencies will be managed under such a merger.
Advocates Raise Serious Concerns on Proposed Merger
For advocates, combining two agencies with very specific roles played in gun and drug law enforcement will have serious implications.
Gun control group Giffords’ Executive Director Emma Brown said merging the two agencies, which will likely include “cutting agents,” will only shrink the federal government’s resources and weaken efforts toward halting the work of gun traffickers and dealers who are doing their business illegally.
Lobbying nonprofit group Gun Owners of America said merging the ATF and DEA will “be a disaster for gun owners and the Second Amendment.”
The DOJ has yet to address concerns around the potential consequences of combining the two agencies.
The Trump administration has been under fire in recent weeks amid aggressive government downsizing efforts, including thousands of employee layoffs and widespread office shutdowns.
