CHICAGO (WLS) — The U.S. Department of Justice is operating under a nationwide hiring freeze, with some exceptions.

That mandate came down Jan. 20, when President Donald Trump took office.

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But the newly installed U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Illinois is soliciting applicants and encouraging former federal prosecutors to apply.

“Dear former NDIL colleagues,” the email, sent on behalf of U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros begins, “several of you have reached out to me personally…expressing an interest to return to the Office to serve as AUSAs (Assistant U.S. Attorneys).”

The email popped into former federal prosecutor Ron Safer’s inbox last week.

“It’s sort of astounding, but it was an invitation,” Safer said.

More than a dozen former federal prosecutors, even current sitting judges, told the I-Team they, too, received this same unorthodox email, and found it concerning.

“You have people who come to the office, give what they have to give, and then leave. By and large, there is turnover by design,” Safer said.

Safer hasn’t worked in the Northern District of Illinois office in more than 25 years.

“We all love the office. Everybody who was an assistant U.S. attorney identifies as a prosecutor, even when we’re defense attorneys for years,” Safer told the I-Team.

The formers, as they are known, are a famously tight-knit band of attorneys in Chicago’s legal community, which is why some with whom the I-Team spoke are surprised by Safer’s public criticism.

Under Boutros’ leadership, since he was sworn in as U.S. attorney in April, the office continues to shrink. The chief of the criminal division recently resigned.

In February, the Northern District of Illinois told the I-Team they had 144 prosecutors. In July, they were down to 126, and that includes prosecutors who took the so-called “fork in the road” retirement in Department of Government Efficiency cuts.

Despite that, a spokesperson says the indictments are up 140% for the first six months of this year over last year.

The email seeking applicants from alumni included a link to the job posting. Under qualifications, a line in bold reads: “Prior federal criminal prosecution experience in NDIL is not required, but candidates with such experience are encouraged and will be given serious consideration.”

“I think in the long run, damage to this office is being done that will be difficult to be undone,” Safer said.

It is considered standard procedure for the U.S. attorney to promote and install their own people in leadership.

It’s the way Boutros is going about it that concerns many of the people the I-Team spoke to, who requested anonymity to talk freely.

The I-Team reached out to the U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago and were told “we’ll hold off commenting.”