At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on crime reduction and community safety, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the committee, questioned witnesses about the effects of shifting federal resources to support President Trump’s mass deportation policies.
Durbin began by speaking with Gregg Pemberton, Chairman of the D.C. Police Union, regarding his experiences as a police officer after the January 6 Capitol attack. Durbin asked Pemberton if he had spoken to officers present at the Capitol or seen videos showing assaults on police officers. Pemberton confirmed witnessing violent footage and described the events as “a riot” at the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Durbin then inquired about Pemberton’s response to President Trump granting pardons to 1,500 individuals prosecuted for violence against police officers. Pemberton downplayed the severity of the insurrection but expressed frustration over cases where people who assault police officers are not charged.
Addressing this issue, Durbin stated: “I’m certainly not in that category [of only caring about police officers in the Capitol on January 6, 2021], and I don’t think most people are. Let me tell you something else. I spent a better part of my life in the U.S. Capitol building… It is a cathedral to democracy and should be respected. The people who broke down the windows, came in, and beat up on your police officers are despicable. To give them a full and unconditional pardon, to me, and call them ‘peaceful’ protestors is not conducive to saying that you’re sympathetic to the police and their mission.”
Durbin next questioned Gregory Jackson Jr., gun violence survivor and former Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, about government coordination efforts against gun violence during previous administrations. Jackson noted that under President Biden there was greater coordination between federal, state, and local governments aimed at stopping gun trafficking. He also said there were increased investments in agencies such as ATF for preventing crimes and solving open cases.
Jackson highlighted that gun violence remains prevalent in cities located within states with weaker firearm regulations because guns can flow more freely into those areas from neighboring states lacking strong laws.
When asked about funding changes for ATF under the current administration, Jackson responded: “It’s been slashed.” He further explained that Chicago faces challenges with guns coming from Missouri and Indiana—states with less stringent background check requirements.
Later in the hearing, Durbin addressed Christopher Goumenis from DEA’s Washington Division and Peter Marketos from U.S. Marshals Service regarding personnel shifts toward immigration enforcement since early 2025. Marketos reported that out of approximately 4,000 operational employees at U.S. Marshals Service, more than 200 have been assigned to support Department of Homeland Security operations related to mass deportations under President Trump’s directives. About ten percent of DEA’s Washington Division has also been redirected for similar purposes.
Durbin questioned whether this diversion impacted drug prosecutions over the past year. Goumenis denied any effect on DEA operations; however, Durbin referenced a Reuters report indicating otherwise: “Reuters, September 29, 2025. ‘The number of people charged with breaking federal drug laws dropped to the lowest [level] in decades this year after the Trump Administration ordered enforcement agencies to focus on deporting immigrants… So far this year, about 10 percent fewer people have been prosecuted for drug violations compared to the same period of 2024…’”
Durbin concluded by expressing concern that prioritizing mass deportation is reducing resources available for addressing drug crimes: “So there is a natural concern that this so-called ‘big and beautiful’ mass deportation is diverting resources that could be used for stopping drug trafficking and crimes,” he said. “We’re paying a price for the ‘great, beautiful’ mass deportation, despite the fact that 70 percent of the people who have been stopped by DHS and accused of immigration violations have no criminal record.”
Goumenis responded by stating many cases go through state or local courts rather than federal court.
Video footage and audio recordings from both panels are available through committee channels.
