Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday said that the primary terrorist threat to the United States remains from “Islamist militants and those that they inspire,” but said the threat from hate groups “should not and cannot” be ignored.
“They are using the same do-it-yourself, mass-murder tactics - as we saw with the horrible assault last week in New Zealand against Muslim worshippers,” Nielsen said speaking at the State of Homeland Security address.
Nielsen’s remarks came days after the worst massacre in New Zealand’s modern history, when 50 people were killed and 50 were injured after a gunman attacked two mosques in central Christchurch.
“We, too, have seen the face of such evil with attacks in places such as Charlottesville, Pittsburgh, and Charleston. And in the wake of the New Zealand tragedy, I want to make one thing very clear: we will not permit such hate in the homeland,” she added.
Nielsen referred to “violent groups” but did not specifically mention white supremacy or white nationalism during her remarks.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump was asked whether he saw a worrying rise in white supremacy movements around the world, Trump said he did not, blaming a small group of people “with very, very serious problems.”
Nielsen was delivering her “2019 State of Homeland Security Address,” hosted by the Auburn University McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, where she outlined her goals for the department and concerns over US security.
She said that while the US is more secure against the dangers of the last decade, it’s less prepared for future threats.
“Today, I am more worried about the ability of bad guys to hijack our networks than their ability to hijack our flights,” she said.
Nielsen said the most “serious” cyber threats are those aimed at the “heart of democracy.”
Russian meddling at the direction of President Vladimir Putin didn’t stop in 2016, she said.
“They have continued to interfere in our public affairs and have attempted to sow division online among Americans on hot-button issues,” said Nielsen.
During a question-and-answer session, however, Nielsen added that “other nation states have adopted a more visible approach to doing the same.”
“We see China doing that. We see Iran doing that. It’s interesting, it depends on where you are in the globe which country is attempting to interfere more – so, there’s differences there. But it’s a real and pernicious threat,” she said.
When asked about the threat from drones, Nielsen said during the Super Bowl the department tried out new defenses and confirmed that “we did see drones.”
“I think drones is a great example of where technology itself is not good or bad. We use drones in the department as a force multiplier,” she said. “The flip side of that of course is that a nefarious actor can take an otherwise ubiquitous technology and use it against us.”
In her remarks, Nielsen emphasized that there is “no ‘manufactured’ crisis” at the southern border, instead describing the situation as a “real-life humanitarian and security catastrophe.”
The situation at the southern border, which started as a crisis, is now “a near system-wide meltdown.”
Last month, she said, the US apprehended more than 75,000 people — the highest in more than a decade — and is on track to apprehend nearly 100,000 migrants this month.
Border security and immigration have dominated the department’s attention and public messaging in recent months.
“The system is breaking. And our communities, our law enforcement personnel, and the migrants themselves are paying the price,” she said.