The Department of Homeland Security issued recommendations Wednesday for religious communities to strengthen security measures. Previously, the FBI director noted the high level of terrorist danger in the country.
The ministry’s recommendations are aimed at protecting against threats amid rising anti-Semitism and Islamophobia following the Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military response in Gaza.
Recently, there has been an increase in the level of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in the United States. The Justice Department said it was monitoring an increase in threats against Jews and Muslims.
The ministry’s recommendations outline practical measures that religious communities can take to increase their vigilance against the aforementioned threats.
Recall that on Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in one of the Senate committees that “there has not been a time in his memory when so many different threats have emerged at the same time.”
“That’s what makes this environment we’re in so dangerous,” he said.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas agreed with Wray’s assessment of the threat level.
“We are seeing episodes of violence in this country that tragically reflect that reality,” Mayorkas said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday. “We are also taking measures to combat all of this.”
Later Wednesday, Mayorkas and Attorney General Merrick Garland will speak with faith leaders to discuss ways to identify security threats and prevent hate crimes.
