WASHINGTON (AP) – The forthcoming Supreme Court ruling on abortion, the increase in migrants on the US-Mexico border and the by-elections are potential causes of extremist violence over the next six months, the Homeland Security said on Tuesday.
The United States was already in a “high-risk environment” and these factors could worsen the situation, 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 important events can be used to justify acts of violence against a number of possible targets,” DHS said.
This is the latest attempt by internal security to draw attention to the threat posed by domestic violent extremism, a shift from signals of international terrorism that have been a hallmark of the agency since its inception following the 9/11 attacks.
In fact, threats from abroad are only mentioned in passing in this bulletin. It notes that al Qaeda supporters celebrated the January opposition at a synagogue in Colville, Texas. It also mentioned that the Islamic State group called on supporters to carry out attacks in the United States to avenge the killings of the group’s leader and spokesman.
DHS also warns that China, Russia, Iran and other nations are seeking to inflame divisions in the United States to weaken the country and its position in the world. In part, they are doing so by reinforcing conspiracy theories and false reports that are spreading in American society.
However, domestic violent extremists are the most urgent and potentially violent threat, the agency said, citing a racist attack in which a white gunman killed 10 blacks at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in May.
The newsletter, due to expire on November 30th, says calls for violence by local extremists targeting democratic institutions, candidates and electoral workers are likely to increase in the autumn. It says people in online forums have praised the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uwalde, Texas, and encouraged attacks on imitation.
“The signal underscores the fact that society is becoming more violent every day,” said Brian Harel, a former assistant secretary at DHS. “Future criminals and domestic terrorists will always use the path of least resistance, and soft targets and crowded places are often chosen for this violence.
Speaking to reporters before the newsletter, a senior DHS official said he described the situation as “dynamic” as authorities saw a greater diversity of people motivated by a wider range of complaints and incidents than in the past.
The forthcoming Supreme Court ruling, which could overturn Rowe v. Wade, could lead to violence by extremist supporters or opponents of abortion rights, depending on the outcome, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss some factors. who went into the preparation of the bulletin.
Racial extremists may be motivated by immigration or whether the government continues to rely on Title 42, a public health order used since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to prevent people from seeking refuge on the southwestern border, DHS said.
The agency and the FBI are working with state and local law enforcement agencies to raise awareness of the threat, and DHS has increased grants to local authorities and religious organizations to improve security, Interior Minister Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement.
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