The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced this week that the department will launch an investigation “to address the threat of domestic violent extremism within the Department of Homeland Security.”
According to a press release on the DHS’ website, Mayorkas wrote a letter to all of the Department’s employees stating that he will provide a “comprehensive review of how to best prevent, detect, and respond to threats related to domestic violent extremism within DHS.”
It’s unclear what prompted the probe, however according to Reuters, Mayorkas referred to the January 6, 2021 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol and cited the attack highlighted the threat the U.S. faces with domestic extremism. Some of those who were a part of the insurrection were former and current law enforcement and U.S. military members. Since that discovery U.S. military and law enforcement agencies have been vetting their own members to weed out white supremacy and other extreme ideologies and it appears the DHS is doing the same.
In the DHS’ press release, Mayorkas said that domestic extremism “poses the most lethal and persistent terrorism-related threat to our country today,” adding that “hateful acts and violent extremism will not be tolerated” within the department.
According to reports Mayorkas will discuss next steps in the coming days.