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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 8 June 2022
U.S. sees heightened extremist threat heading into midterms

By BEN FOX of the bulletin.
Associated Press Racial extremists may be
WASHINGTON (AP) — A motivated by immigration
looming Supreme Court enforcement or whether
decision on abortion, an the government continues
increase of migrants at the to rely on Title 42, the public
U.S.-Mexico border and the health order that has been
midterm elections are po- used since the start of the
tential triggers for extremist coronavirus pandemic to
violence over the next six prevent people from seek-
months, the Department ing asylum at the southwest
of Homeland Security said border, DHS said.
Tuesday. The agency and the FBI
The U.S. was in a “height- are working with state and
ened threat environment” local law enforcement
already, and these fac- to raise awareness of the
tors may worsen the situa- threat, and DHS has in-
tion, DHS said in the latest creased grant funding to
National Terrorism Advisory local governments and re-
System bulletin. ligious organizations to im-
“In the coming months, we prove security, Homeland
expect the threat environ- Security Secretary Alejan-
ment to become more dro N. Mayorkas said in a
dynamic as several high- The Department of Homeland Security logo is seen during a news conference in Washington, Feb. statement released with
profile events could be ex- 25, 2015. Associated Press the bulletin.q
ploited to justify acts of vio-
lence against a range of weaken the country and its
possible targets,” DHS said. standing in the world.
It’s the latest attempt by In part, they do this by am-
Homeland Security to draw plifying conspiracy theories
attention to the threat and false reports that prolif-
posed by domestic vio- erate in American society.
lent extremism, a shift from Domestic violent extremists,
alerts about international however, present the most
terrorism that were a hall- pressing and potentially
mark of the agency follow- violent threat, the agency
ing its creation after the said, citing, for example,
wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, the racist attack in which
attacks. a white gunman killed 10
Indeed, the threats from Black people at a Buffalo,
overseas rate only pass- New York, supermarket in
ing mentions in this bulle- May.
tin. It notes that al-Qaida The bulletin, which is sched-
supporters celebrated the uled to expire Nov. 30, said
January standoff at a syna- calls for violence by do-
gogue in Colleyville, Texas. mestic extremists directed
And it mentions that the at democratic institutions,
Islamic State group called candidates and election
on supporters to carry out workers will likely increase
attacks in the United States through the fall.
to avenge the killings of the A senior DHS official, speak-
group’s leader and spokes- ing to reporters ahead of
man. the release of the bulletin,
DHS also warns that China, said it describes the situa-
Russia, Iran and other na- tion as “dynamic” because
tions seek to foment di- authorities are seeing a
visions within the U.S. to wider variety of people
motivated by a broader
range of grievances and
incidents than in the past.
The upcoming decision
from the Supreme Court,
which could overturn Roe
v. Wade, could lead to vio-
lence from either extremist
supporters or opponents of
abortion rights depending
on the outcome, said the
official, speaking on the
condition of anonymity to
discuss some factors that
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