Washington, D.C. — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) plays a critical role in combating violent crime and keeping our communities safe. Despite this, President Trump has proposed a staggering 29 percent cut to the agency’s budget for the 2026 fiscal year. A new issue brief from the Center for American Progress argues that cutting the ATF’s budget would seriously harm public safety and urges Congress to properly fund law enforcement and violence prevention programs.
Some key statistics include:
- ATF’s budget has stagnated over the past two decades compared with other federal law enforcement agencies, which have all seen steady increases. This will amount to a 46 percent decrease in funding from 2010 to 2026, after adjusting for inflation and population growth.
- Meanwhile, the total number of guns in circulation has exploded from 240 million in 2010 to 414 million by the end of 2025. This means the ATF will receive 54 percent less funding per gun in circulation in 2026 than it did in 2010, after adjusting for inflation and population growth.
- If Congress enacts Trump’s proposed budget, ATF will shrink to 3,671 employees from its 5,136 positions budgeted in 2025, a 29 percent reduction.
“Without additional resources, ATF will not be able to provide state and local law enforcement with the crime gun intelligence necessary to prevent violent crime from rising,” said Nick Wilson, senior director for Gun Violence Prevention at CAP and author of the issue brief. “If Congress approves these drastic funding cuts to the ATF, there will be significantly fewer federal agents and experts partnering with local law enforcement to keep illegal guns out of communities and hold repeat violent offenders accountable.”
Read the issue brief: “Trump’s Budget Will Undermine ATF’s Efforts to Prevent Violent Crime” by Nick Wilson
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Rafael Medina at [email protected].