'The threat posed by domestic terrorism is on the rise,' Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
The Justice Department will launch a new unit centered on tackling the rising challenge of domestic terrorism, the agency's top national security official revealed Tuesday, appearing before Congress just days after the one-year anniversary of the January 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol.
"Racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists are most likely to conduct mass casualty attacks against civilians, and militia violent extremists typically target law enforcement and government personnel and facilities," Jill Sanborn, the head of the FBI's National Security Branch, told lawmakers.
Pushed by Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii on whether the department will apply sentencing enhancements in future January 6 cases, Olsen said"it's possible," adding that prosecutors would rely on the"facts and circumstances of each case." FBI and Justice Department officials have insisted that they do not treat domestic terrorism any differently based on what ideology it may stem from. Sanborn noted during Tuesday's hearing that the FBI has opened more than 800 investigations originating from the 2020 unrest and that"just a little north of 250" people have been arrested.