US Homeland Security cheif addresses rise in threats against Jews, Muslims, Arabs

The US Homeland Security Department has responded to an "increase in threats" against Jews, Muslims and Arab-Americans since an Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Tuesday.

"In the days and weeks since (Hamas' Oct. 7 attack), we have responded to an increase in threats against Jewish, Muslim and Arab-American communities and institutions across our country," Mayorkas said at a Senate committee hearing.

"Hate directed at Jewish students, communities and institutions add to a pre-existing increase in the level of antisemitism in the United States and around the world," he added.

Mayorkas's remarks came as he was addressing a hearing by a Senate committee on threats to the US, along with the FBI Director Christopher Wray and National Counterterrorism Center Director Christine Abizaid.

Wray said the bureau has elevated hate crimes to a "national threat priority."

He said the US' "most immediate concern" is that "violent extremists" will draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to "carry out attacks against Americans."

"That includes not just homegrown violent extremists inspired by a foreign terrorist organization, but also domestic violent extremists targeting Jewish or Muslim communities," he said.