A note from the DHS Intelligence and Analysis Service said that federal and state government officials, including judges, were “probably most at risk of violence in response to the decision.”
It also includes warnings of “protected events from the First Amendment”, reproductive and “family advocacy health facilities” and religious organizations that are targets of violence or criminal incidents.
“Freedom of speech and the right of Americans to protest peacefully are fundamental constitutional rights. These rights do not cover violence and other illegal activities. DHS will continue to work with our partners at all levels of government to share timely information and support law enforcement efforts to keep our communities safe, ”a spokesman for Homeland Security said in a statement to CNN.
DHS previously released a bulletin of the National Terrorism Consultancy System warning of potential violence over the Supreme Court’s ruling on abortion rights.
The memorandum notes that potential violence is expected “weeks” after Friday’s ruling, given that domestic violent extremists “can be mobilized to respond to changes in state laws and voting measures” related to abortion. . The assessment, DHS said in a note, is based on an increase in violent incidents after a draft expired last month.
Some of these earlier incidents were cited throughout the note, including arson attacks targeting pregnancy resource centers and incidents of vandalism threatening violence targeting “religious facilities perceived as opposed to abortion.”
The DHS intelligence unit relies on a variety of sources, including news media accounts, open source reports, and press releases from the Department of Justice, for its assessment.
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