WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — Leaders from the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and National Counterterrorism Center addressed the House Committee on Homeland Security regarding the worldwide threats to the nation.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid all emphasized that “lone wolf extremists” remain one of the nation’s biggest concerns amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“Our current heightened threat posture is driven primarily by our concern that individuals may increasingly mobilize for attacks, particularly against Jewish, Arab and Muslim communities. This is consistent with our yearslong assessment that those inspired to terrorism rather than those directly linked to hierarchical organizations are the most likely to carry out a successful attack on U.S. soil,” Abizaid said.
Wednesday’s hearing focused on illegal crossings at the southern border. House Committee of Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green addressed the record number of illegal crossings seen in recent months, calling it a national security crisis. He also called this one of the most dangerous times in U.S. history.
Other Republicans brought up the push to impeach Mayorkas, as issues continue to arise along the border.
Democrats pushed back against some of the criticism.
“The failure of this administration’s border policies has created a humanitarian and national security crisis as transnational criminal organizations prey on vulnerable migrants and sneak across violent felons and individuals on the terrorist watchlist, and yet Secretary Mayorkas has continued to mislead Congress and the American people claiming that this is what a secure border looks like,” Green said.
“Rather than getting own house in order. … desperate to impeach someone or anyone at all. zero justification for it,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.
Additionally, discussions touched on threats from other countries including China, Russia and Iran, drug trafficking and cyber threats. Wray asserts China’s intelligence and espionage efforts pose the most significant long-term threat to economic and national security.
Wray highlighted a more than twofold increase in domestic terrorism investigations since spring 2020.
Wray and Mayorkas also underscored the potential impact of the Israel-Hamas war on inspiring lone extremists, particularly against Jewish, Muslim and Arab-American communities in the U.S.
“The greatest terrorism threat to our homeland is posed by lone actors or small cells of individuals who typically radicalize to violence online, and who primarily use easily accessible weapons to attack soft targets,” Wray said in his opening statement.
Meanwhile, during Tuesday’s rally against antisemitism in D.C., leaders from both sides of the aisle noted the need to combat hate crimes.
“An attack on any of us is an attack on all of us and we are going to do everything possible to stop the antisemitic attacks against our Jewish brothers and sisters,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
“The war in Israel has awakened an alarming amount of antisemitism for Jewish people here in the United States and across the globe and the halls of Congress to college campuses. This antisemitism must be stopped,” said House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson.