The Department of Justice, under the Biden administration, announced the formation of a specific section dedicated to homegrown terrorism.
What are the Details?
Deputy Attorney General for Homeland Security Matthew Olsen disclosed the adjustment during his remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
Domestic terrorism is becoming more of a threat, according to Olsen. “In the two years since March 2020, the amount of FBI inquiries has more than tripled.”
Olsen highlighted the 2019 gun massacre at a supermarket in El Paso, Texas, the 2018 gun massacre at a Jewish Synagogue near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the 2017 shootings at a congressional baseball game, and the 2015 shooting spree at a congregation in Charleston, South Carolina as instances.
Olsen also mentioned the date of the Capitol riot, noting the Department of Justice detained more than 725 individuals for their roles in the breach, with more than 300 facing criminal charges.
Brandon’s DOJ has just created a Domestic Terrorism unit to go after Trump supporters while allowing actual foreign terrorists to pour across our border and set up shop. LETS GO BRANDON! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/uT1zEhwFEi
— Randy Quaid (@RandyRRQuaid) January 11, 2022
“Recent assaults highlight the threat domestic terrorism continues to pose to our citizens, law enforcement officers, public officials, and political processes,” Olsen added.
“We confront a heightened threat from homegrown violent extremists, according to the intelligence community’s judgment.”
Olsen went on to explain what this threat entails in practice. Hate groups are driven by a combination of ideology and individual grievances, he argued.
However, the DOJ has lately “seen an increasing threat from those driven by racial animosity, as well as those who subscribe to extreme anti-government and anti-authority doctrines.”
The DOJ, according to Olsen, is still watching threats from international terrorist groups, such as al-Qaeda and ISIS.
“Today, one of our top objectives is researching and arresting homegrown violent extremists,” Olsen stated, noting the collaboration among federal authorities and the FBI Multinational Joint Task Force is now the frontline of protection against homegrown terrorism.
Olsen also discussed the National Security Division’s role in coordinating counterterrorism investigations. This comprises a team of prosecutors who are trained to handle both international and domestic terrorism cases.
This is a big move by DOJ. Oath Keepers is a Pro-Republican Party terrorist group that has thousands of members, of whom about two thirds are former military and law enforcement.https://t.co/9aW5NtUt8V
— Barney (@barney1776) January 13, 2022
Will They Come After You?
“In addition, to supplement our existing process, I have decided to form a domestic terrorist section,” Olsen said.
“This devoted group of lawyers will focus on the domestic terrorist threat, assisting in the correct and effective coordination of these cases within the Department of Justice and around the country.”
Olsen went on to say the Homeland Security Bureau worked very closely with the Civil Rights Section to pursue hate crimes. He also noted terrorist activity is prosecuted using “every legal instrument in [its] arsenal.”
Olsen concluded his remarks by stating the DOJ doesn’t really prosecute people because of their beliefs, but rather when they commit heinous acts.
The formation of the new task group comes as new concerns emerge regarding the events behind the National School Boards Association’s controversial letter comparing parental interruptions at school board meetings to homegrown terrorism.
According to the Daily Wire, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona “solicited” the NSBA letter, prompting Attorney General Merrick Garland to issue a memo, asking the DOJ to establish methods to “discourage” threats and possibly arrest parents.
