FBI and Justice Department Scramble to Rebuild Depleted Workforce

Resignations and firings have led to staffing shortages, prompting changes to hiring requirements and recruitment efforts.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 5:49pm

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of an empty government office space, with a lone desk and chair bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight, conveying a sense of solitude and uncertainty.The depleted workforce at the FBI and Justice Department raises concerns about the potential impact on their ability to effectively carry out their law enforcement and national security responsibilities.Quantico Today

The FBI and Justice Department are facing a wave of departures, with leaders easing hiring requirements and accelerating recruitment to fill the depleted workforce. The FBI has turned to social media campaigns, offered abbreviated training, and relaxed requirements for support staff seeking to become agents. The Justice Department has also opened the door to hiring prosecutors right out of law school to help fill vacancies in U.S. attorney's offices.

Why it matters

The changes reflect the difficulty the agencies are having in keeping and recruiting people, with concerns over the Trump administration's politicization of the departments and the firings of employees deemed insufficiently loyal. Critics say the moves amount to a reduction in standards for law enforcement institutions that have long prided themselves on professional expertise.

The details

The FBI has streamlined its application process, waiving requirements like a written assessment and an interview panel for support staff looking to become agents. The Justice Department has suspended a policy requiring prosecutors to have at least one year of experience practicing law. These efforts come as the agencies struggle with critical staffing shortages, with the Justice Department recently acknowledging it has lost nearly 1,000 assistant U.S. attorneys.

  • In the past year, under the leadership of FBI Director Kash Patel, the bureau has made changes to its hiring and recruitment.
  • In January, Patel boasted of a 112% increase in applications to the FBI.
  • The Justice Department recently suspended its policy of only hiring prosecutors with at least one year of experience.

The players

Kash Patel

The current director of the FBI, who has implemented changes to the bureau's hiring and recruitment processes.

Greg Brower

A former U.S. attorney in Nevada who left the FBI in 2018 as its chief congressional liaison.

Chris Piehota

A retired FBI senior executive who expressed concerns about the bureau's promotion of agents with less headquarters experience into leadership roles.

Chad Mizelle

A former chief of staff to Trump's first attorney general, Pam Bondi, who recently urged lawyers to contact him about becoming prosecutors and supporting the "anti-crime agenda."

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What they’re saying

“It's a sign of, among other things, the difficulty the department is having right now in keeping and recruiting people.”

— Greg Brower, Former U.S. attorney in Nevada

“As a field agent, you have a field agent's mentality, you have a field agent's view. Without adequate headquarters experience, you don't know 'the business side of the FBI, the logistical side of the FBI or the political jungle' that can accompany the job.”

— Chris Piehota, Retired FBI senior executive

“We need good prosecutors. And DOJ is hiring across the country. Now is your chance to join the mission and do good for our country.”

— Chad Mizelle, Former chief of staff to Trump's first attorney general

What’s next

The FBI and Justice Department will continue their efforts to recruit and retain qualified personnel to fill the staffing shortages, with the FBI aiming to add around 700 special agents this year.

The takeaway

The staffing challenges facing the FBI and Justice Department raise concerns about the potential impact on their ability to effectively carry out their law enforcement and national security responsibilities, as well as the potential for a lowering of standards in the name of expediency.