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Internal investigation of domestic violent extremism reveals four sympathizers inside DHS

A nearly 11-month investigation by the Department of Homeland Security into domestic violent extremism (DVE) in its ranks found four incidents of active participation or support for violent extremist activity among agency employees since 2019.

But the report also revealed that the government arm responsible for monitoring terrorist threats to the homeland “has not adopted an authoritative definition of” domestic violent extremist “that can be incorporated” into DHS policies and guidelines. “

The investigation, led by the DHS Domestic Violent Extremism Internal Review Working Group, assessed that the Department has “significant gaps” that impede its ability to “prevent, detect and respond” to potential DVE threats within the DHS. These gaps, including a lack of staff training to identify and report on this activity, likely affected DHS accounting, according to the assessment released Friday by the task force.

“I was concerned about the findings, because the findings revealed significant gaps in the department’s ability to detect and respond to violent domestic extremism,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told CBS News in an exclusive interview. Friday.

“At the same time, I really appreciated the value of the research process in bringing these gaps and worrying news to the surface, so we know exactly what we need to do to shape good governance, to ensure honor and integrity. of this department and protect those who do not feel safe in the workplace, ”he added.

Four incidents of “active participation or support for domestic extremist activity”

The initial research of the working group identified 35 allegations of potentially violent extremist activity between October 2018 and July 2021 in the ranks of the department, which has more than 250,000 people.

Finally, investigators determined that only four incidents involved “active participation or support for violent extremist activity,” while the other 31 allegations were found to be unfounded or misleading.

Both the report and Mayorkas did not indicate whether any DHS personnel visited the U.S. Capitol on January 6 or belonged to well-known extremist groups such as the Proud Boys, the Oathkeepers, or the Three Percenters.

But among the four identified in the audit is the Coast Guard’s late Christopher Hasson, who was accused of compiling a hit list of Democratic politicians and media personalities in February 2019. The self-proclaimed ” “longtime white nationalist” was later sentenced to more than 13 years in prison after officers discovered several firearms, including a silencer, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his home.

The revelation of such deep extremism within the U.S. Coast Guard, which is under the jurisdiction of DHS, prompted a September 2019 strategy bulletin issued by DHS Secretary-General Kevin McAleenan.

In the years leading up to the Capitol uprising, DHS faced growing pressure to recognize and address the imminent threat of domestic extremism. But Friday’s investigation also uncovered the lack of funding needed to support the expansion of DHS’s Insider Threat program, its current tool for “managing internal threat issues,” and related training programs.

Mayorkas first announced the investigation last April, more than two months after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a “off” for 60 days throughout the service within the U.S. Army. At least 82 current or former military personnel have been arrested in connection with the January 6 attack on the Capitol. About 100 members of the current service they participated in banned extremist activities in 2021, Pentagon officials saidmore than the “low double digits” of previous years.

Eliminate extremist threats within DHS

When the task force delved into DHS data, they found that the department and its members did not specifically track allegations of domestic violent extremism, and chose to file complaints under other subcategories such as “violence in the workplace “. Investigations into allegations of violent extremist activity were often carried out by various departments, which makes it unclear who was responsible for the follow-up.

Friday’s report did not identify specific extremist groups by name, but classified the allegations into the following categories:

  • domestic violent extremism of racial or ethnic motivation
  • animal rights / violent domestic extremism related to the environment
  • Domestic violent extremism related to abortion
  • Domestic violent extremism anti-government / anti-authority \
  • all other threats related to internal terrorism

In total, the group issued 15 recommendations aimed at protecting DHS employees and setting a standard for eliminating extremist threats, beginning with the implementation of a policy to detect, prevent, and respond to violent extremist activity within DHS.

The researchers recommended establishing a single reporting center for those who want to file a staff complaint related to DVE.

“A single definition” of domestic violent extremism

It has been investigated whether all DHS employees, including federal law enforcement agents of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Customs Services Federal protection should be treated the same way under its new policy, Mayorkas said the future of DHS. assessments “could very well” consider the role of an employee.

“This requires legal analysis,” Mayorkas said. “That’s why we need to set policies and guidelines.”

Unlike the Department of Defense, which operates from a chain-of-command culture, members of the DHS federated bureaucracy routinely operate autonomously. However, a definition of domestic violent extremism is already being created, along with updated employee training modules and guides for leaders to follow when talking about violent extremist activity.

“There will be a single definition that will guide this department,” Mayorkas said.

He acknowledged the challenges of controlling extremist activity while safeguarding the rights of First Amendment employees, but stressed that “the whole discourse is not necessarily protected.”

“If the opinions expressed by an individual raise a question as to the integrity and objectivity with which they fulfill their responsibilities, that can be a problem,” Mayorkas said.

Last year, US Customs and Border Protection found 60 cases of misconduct after a thorough investigation into explicit and violent messages shared on secret Facebook pages, though only two were eventually fired.

From now on, the recommendations in Friday’s report will not cover the 48,000 members of the Coast Guard, who sit under the DHS scope, but will be considered separately by the Pentagon’s review of violent extremism. domestic.

The task force has commissioned DHS to establish rules and guidelines for its approximately 170,000 contractors, noting that “special consideration should be given to research on this important population, which has authorized direct access to DHS assets. “, including everything from immigrant detention facilities to biometrics. .

The DHS Security Office led the task force and continues to serve as its headquarters, although Mayorkas stressed that the responsibility for implementing the future protocol will lie with components “at all levels of the oversight chain and in last resort, with me “.

Ellee Watson and Rob Legare contributed to this report.


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