The review follows a similar initiative being conducted by the Pentagon to study extremist activity within the U.S. Military.
What We Know:
- This probe in the Department of Homeland Security is the latest in a series following the Capitol Riots on January 6th. In order to address the state of domestic extremism within its ranks, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced a new internal review in a statement on Monday.
- In the statement, Mayorkas calls domestic extremism the most dangerous terrorist threat facing the country today. “As we work to safeguard our nation, we must be vigilant in our efforts to identify and combat domestic violent extremism within both the broader community and our own organization,” said Mayorkas.
- The investigation will be headed by senior DHS officials at the direction of the Chief Security Officer. The report states the investigation will conclude with recommendations for DHS on the best ways to “identify and respond to threats related to domestic violent extremism.”
- President Biden has made combating domestic terror a priority within his administration. A joint intelligence report stated that racially motivated violence and militia groups pose the “most lethal” threats in the U.S. right now. President Biden ordered the report within his first days in office.
- Another report found that those who commit racial violence were the most likely to cause “mass-casualty” attacks. The information goes on to say that false narratives on recent social events such as the election and pandemic will continue to fuel more extremist violence in 2021.
In response to the Capitol Riots, the DHS issued a terror advisory in January. The bulletin warns of possible continuing extremist violence, and the DHS advisory is set to expire on April 30th.
