Political violence could intensify following Supreme Court abortion ruling, U.S. officials warn

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Friday warned that threats of political violence, particularly against judges and state officials, will likely intensify in light of the Supreme Court's decision to eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion, according to an intelligence memo obtained by CBS News.

Domestic extremists, Homeland Security officials said in their intelligence memo, "will likely exploit" the Supreme Court's ruling to "intensify violence against a wide range of targets." Federal and state officials, and their facilities, could be "most at risk" of being targets of political violence, DHS concluded.

Public protests in response to the high court's decision could become "attractive targets" for individuals seeking to commit acts of political violence, according to the memo, which also predicted that attacks against both reproductive services and pregnancy resource facilities could escalate.