FBI's spy hunting squads hit with deep cuts even as foreign espionage threats soar

The cuts come as a consequence of President Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel's focus on violent crime and immigration, leaving other priorities understaffed.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7516x5013+0+0/resize/7516x5013!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe6%2Fd2%2F28d9aff74c62b588f3fd8db32906%2Fgettyimages-2295422163.jpg' alt='FBI Director Kash Patel testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in September 2026 in Washington, D.C.'/><p>The cuts come as a consequence of President Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel's focus on violent crime and immigration, leaving other priorities understaffed.</p><p>(Image credit: Win McNamee)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-145511' />