WASHINGTON (AP) – Imminent Supreme Court ruling on abortion, increase in U.S.-Mexico border migrants and midterm elections are possible triggers for extremist violence over the next six months, Tuesday said the Department of Homeland Security.
The United States was already in an “increased threat environment” and these factors could make the situation worse, DHS said in the latest bulletin of the National Terrorism Advisory System.
“In the coming months, we expect the threat environment to become more dynamic, as several high-profile events could be used to justify acts of violence against a number of possible targets,” DHS said.
It is the latest attempt by National Security to draw attention to the threat posed by domestic violent extremism, a change in international terrorism alerts that were a hallmark of the agency since its inception. of the attacks of September 11, 2001.
In fact, threats from abroad are only mentioned in passing in this newsletter. He notes that al-Qaeda supporters held the January confrontation at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. And it is mentioned that the Islamic State group called on supporters to carry out attacks in the United States to avenge the assassinations of the group’s leader and spokesman.
DHS also warns that China, Russia, Iran and other nations are seeking to encourage divisions in the US to weaken the country and its position in the world. In part, they do so by amplifying conspiracy theories and false reports that are proliferating in American society.
Domestic violent extremists, however, pose the most urgent and potentially violent threat, the agency said, citing, for example, the racist attack in which a white gunman killed 10 blacks at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. in May.
The bulletin, which is scheduled to expire Nov. 30, said calls for violence by domestic extremists targeting democratic institutions, candidates and election workers are likely to increase during the fall.
A senior DHS official, speaking to reporters before the bulletin was issued, said he described the situation as “dynamic” because authorities see a wider variety of people motivated by a wider range of grievances and incidents than in the past.
The next Supreme Court decision, which could overturn Roe v. Wade, could lead to violence by extremist supporters or opponents of abortion rights, according to the result, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss some factors that happened. in the preparation of the newsletter.
Racial extremists may be motivated by the application of immigration or if the government continues to rely on Title 42, the public health order that has been used since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic to prevent people from apply for asylum at the southwestern border, DHS said.
The agency and the FBI are working with state and local law enforcement to raise awareness about the threat, and DHS has increased funding for local governments and religious organizations to improve security, he said. Secretary of Homeland Security Alexander N. Mayorkas in a statement issued with the bulletin.