The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advisory board, known as the “Homeland Intelligence Experts Group,” was created in September 2023 to provide the DHS with expert analysis on topics like terrorism and drug trafficking. Internal documents obtained by America First Legal (AFL) revealed that the board suggested supporters of former President Donald Trump, individuals who served in the military, and those who are religious pose a higher risk of domestic terrorism.
According to the findings of the conservative legal nonprofit AFL, the board, which included former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former CIA Director John Brennan, highlighted that supporters of the former president accounted for most of the domestic terrorism threat in the U.S. The board’s meeting notes indicated that there has been a political backdrop to this assessment, with attacks on the government and its institutions in the past six years.
Additionally, the board suggested that specific traits like military service and religious affiliation are indicators of extremism and terrorism that the U.S. should be more concerned about. The documents also mentioned efforts to get into local communities in a non-threatening way to enhance information collection about Americans.
AFL’s “#DeepStateDiaries” series, including these newly obtained documents, revealed what the organization described as apparent partisan bias within the Deep State committee. AFL Executive Director Gene Hamilton emphasized the need to halt any efforts to weaponize the federal government against political opponents, while AFL President Stephen Miller characterized the documents as exposing a Biden plan to mobilize government power against Trump supporters before the election.
The board discussed the shortcomings of the “See Something, Say Something” campaign following the 9/11 attacks, noting that Americans may have reservations about reporting suspicious behavior. Efforts to encourage individuals to come forward and share information were also outlined in the documents released by AFL.
Following a successful lawsuit on behalf of former Acting Director of the United States National Intelligence Ric Grenell, AFL announced that the Biden administration had decided to disband the Homeland Intelligence Experts Group. This group, announced by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last year, aimed to provide perspectives from the private sector on intelligence and national security efforts.
Mayorkas highlighted the importance of collecting actionable intelligence to ensure the security of the American people, emphasizing the collaboration between various levels of government, as well as private sector partners. DHS has not yet responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the released documents and the disbanding of the board.