Former Bears, Panthers CB Tillman Resigns Over Trump Immigration

Charles “Peanut” Tillman, the former Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers cornerback who had a 13-year NFL career, said he left the FBI after seven to eight years because he objected to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the bureau’s redirected enforcement priorities. On The Pivot podcast he said some superiors tried to push agents into immigration enforcement work he found morally objectionable and that he refused orders that conflicted with his conscience. Tillman said he left on good terms, praised his FBI colleagues, and wanted to be “on the right side of history,” while noting many agents could not walk away because they lacked the financial flexibility his NFL earnings gave him. He described a mismatch between the “most dangerous criminals” the FBI was supposed to target and the reality of agents being diverted to immigration cases. News reports cited by outlets corroborate his claim that a significant share of agent resources were shifted to immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.