Justice Department to form new domestic terrorism unit

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.

"The threat posed by domestic terrorism is on the rise," Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee. "The number of FBI investigations of suspected violent extremists has more than doubled since the spring of 2020."

The problem is two-fold, as officials at the Department of Justice say they have witnessed a mounting threat from offenders motivated by both racial animus and anti-government ideologies.