New FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge talks immigration, cyberattacks, World Cup and more

DALLAS - FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joseph Rothrock came to North Texas in January and just finished his first 100 days in office. 

Rothrock spoke to reporters to outline his priorities.

Illegal Immigration

The Trump administration has cracked down on illegal immigration over the last few months.

Rothrock says his group has a role in the effort, but that the FBI assisting ICE is nothing new.

What they're saying:

"Certainly the pace and breadth of our cooperation has increased. That is a positive. I think our community should expect law enforcement to move quickly to share information, especially as it relates to violent criminals or national security concerns, so that we can act in the most expedient remedy and keep our community safe," said Rothrock. "Without getting into all the specifics, we're providing broad support, both on the analytical side to help identify and prioritize some of those that actors, investigative resources to help locate. And help arrest with those where necessary."

Trust in law enforcement

The Dallas Police Department recently faced controversy over efforts to reassure immigrant communities that police can be trusted.

Rothrock was asked if he's concerned about people being scared to report crime, in fear of being deported themselves.

What they're saying:

"[I] certainly understand why that would be a concern for some of the community. What I would say is reporting crimes to the FBI is important. We don't have access to the information if the community doesn't come forward and report that to us. We can't bring our authorities and look to hold people accountable without reporting," said Rothrock.

Cyberattacks

When asked about his greatest concerns, Rothrock first brought up cyberattacks.

What they're saying:

"Cyber actors that are carrying out ransomware attacks or hackers that are attacking our critical infrastructure. Those areas that we need to keep our nation running, those are certainly significant national security concerns," he said. "The threat in that cyberspace, whether it be from hackers or ransomware tech, continues to expand. Our efforts in this space really start well before a breach occurs, and that is gaining an understanding and helping private sector prepare."

Protecting children

Another of Rothrock's greatest concerns is protecting children.

What they're saying:

"Technology in that space has given child predators access to children in a way we just haven't seen in the past, and technology is going to continue to drive that threat and drive its evolution. And we at the FBI are going to do everything we can to identify how child predators would technology to target children, hold them accountable, and bring justice to children," he said.

World Cup

The World Cup is coming to the United States in 2026.

Nine matches will be held in Arlington.

The FBI is often called to help with large events.

Rothrock says the World Cup provides unique security issues.

What they're saying:

"Preparation for a Super Bowl is one event over a couple of weeks. This is just here in North Texas, nine events over 30 plus days, combined with a number of other fan experiences, and I'm sure community events that'll rise up to support their teams and where they have a rooting interest. So it's going to be a unique challenge. Do I think FBI Dallas and our partners here across North Texas are up to the challenge? I do," he said. "Our role is to bring a threat picture, bring intelligence and work to help position our local officers and our state officers on how they're going to best position themselves in those special events."

Crime and Public SafetyDallas