NJ sees white supremacists, homegrown extremists as top threat in homeland security report
New Jersey says white supremacists and homegrown extremists motivated by foreign groups remain top or "high" threats, in an annual terrorism report released Thursday.
Anti-government extremists, some of whom used violence to try to overturn election results at the U.S. Capitol last year, still pose a "moderate" threat, according to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
"Domestic extremists are expected to return to pre-pandemic operating norms, shifting their focus to local expansion, participating in demonstrations and engaging in low-level criminal activity," Laurie Doran, the state's homeland security director, wrote in the 42-page report.
The office's 2022 Threat Assessment considers recent incidents of terrorism and activity by foreign and domestic groups in the U.S. and the threat these groups may present to New Jerseyans.
The COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest and rampant false information online have intensified an extremist threat "that continues to grow more diverse and innovative,” Doran wrote.
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Top threats
Even as arrests of "homegrown violent extremists" have gone down since 2020, individuals inspired by foreign terrorist organizations remain a top concern, the agency found.
The report cited the arrests of 10 people across the nation last year who were charged with planning attacks, providing "financial or message support" or trying to travel overseas to fight for foreign terrorist groups. That included a New York couple who attempted to board a cargo ship in Newark, allegedly with the intent of traveling to Yemen to join the Islamic State group, or ISIS.
In 2020, NJOHSP raised the white supremacist threat level to "high" after a spate of racially motivated attacks and said such individuals were a top risk — and that remained the case in Thursday's report. They may "produce personal manifestos, collect extremist literature and stockpile weapons while aspiring to conduct lone offender attacks," the report said.
In the last five years, white racially motivated extremists conducted at least 28 attacks in the U.S., resulting in 52 deaths and 79 injuries, the office found.
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Moderate threats
Anti-government extremists' belief in conspiracy theories and distrust of elected officials and authority figures has motivated supporters to attack law enforcement, government institutions and private infrastructure, the report said.
Some were involved in attacks on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol, which led to hundreds of arrests, including charges against more than two dozen New Jersey residents.
Other "moderate" threats cited in the report include extremists motivated by anti-abortion, anarchist, militia and "Black racially motivated" views. "Sovereign citizens," who challenge and reject certain laws and firearm regulations, are another concern, the homeland security office warned.
U.S.-based extremists are using encrypted messaging platforms and alternative social media applications "to amplify extremist rhetoric, communicate and coordinate among like-minded individuals, and maintain followers across platforms," the report said. Examples of these platforms are Telegram, Parler and Gab.
Foreign terror groups
Terrorist organizations based outside the U.S. pose a "low" direct threat to New Jersey, but they are likely to continue to encourage attacks within the country, the report added.
In the shifting threat landscape, foreign nations and groups may be seeking ways to damage critical infrastructure by cyberattacks or intellectual property theft, the office warned. Cyberattacks affected government agencies, businesses, private citizens and organizations in New Jersey throughout 2021, the NJOHSP found.
Hannan Adely is a diversity reporter covering Arab and Muslim communities for NorthJersey.com, where she focuses on social issues, politics, bias and civil rights. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: adely@northjersey.com
Twitter: @adelyreporter
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ Homeland Security report: White supremacy terror threat
