New federal data and personnel moves indicate President Donald Trump is escalating his crackdown on illegal immigration and urban crime. Census Bureau figures analysed by the Center for Immigration Studies show the number of undocumented immigrants living in the United States fell by about 1.6 million between January and July, contributing to a 2.2 million drop in the overall foreign-born population over the same period. The Department of Homeland Security said more than 100,000 people have applied since late July for 10,000 new positions at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a hiring drive accompanied by signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and other incentives. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons called the recruitment campaign essential to removing “millions of criminal illegal aliens.” Separately, the administration has reassigned approximately 120 FBI agents from the bureau’s Washington Field Office to join overnight street patrols with the Metropolitan Police Department. The Washington Post reported that the agents—normally focused on counterintelligence and public-corruption cases—are being deployed to curb a rise in carjackings and other violent crimes, part of a wider surge involving about 450 federal officers from several agencies. Critics, including a former senior Homeland Security official, warn that pulling specialist agents from terrorism and organised-crime investigations in order to perform routine patrols is an inefficient use of highly trained personnel. The White House has signalled that additional measures, including the possibility of a federal takeover of the district’s policing responsibilities, remain under consideration.