WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following a significant victory resulting in the disbanding of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) “Homeland Intelligence Experts Group,” America First Legal (AFL) has released the first tranche of the group’s internal meeting notes, obtained through litigation. This release marks the beginning of #DeepStateDiaries, a multi-part series revealing newly obtained documents.
The newly released documents disclose that the advisory committee, which included John Brennan and James Clapper, discussed methods for DHS to enhance its intelligence collection efforts across the United States. Disturbingly, the documents reveal that the Biden Administration classified individuals likely to commit “domestic violent extremist” attacks, particularly those who support President Trump, are “in the military,” or are “religious.”
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The group aimed to "get into local communities in a non-threatening way." By the time the Homeland Intelligence Experts Group was publicly announced in September 2023, it had already been meeting for four months. During a September meeting, the group discussed "Collection Posture and Associated Challenges." A group member, likely from DHS, complained about the lack of a mandate for state and local partners to collect information, leading to "limited access in I&A."
The member noted that support for this mission varied but changed significantly after January 6th, gaining departmental and political support to combat domestic terrorism. However, DHS’s authority to engage in intelligence collection is limited by the Constitution and federal law.
The group acknowledged the shortcomings of the "See Something, Say Something" campaign post-9/11, citing Americans' reluctance to report on each other. They deliberated on how to integrate into local communities non-threateningly and encourage people to report concerns about their neighbors safely.
One speaker suggested an "ambiguous approach" to community integration for information gathering, expressing dissatisfaction with DHS's limited community reach. Disturbingly, the notes reveal discussions on reclassifying political dissent as a "public health" crisis.
Another proposed solution was to reclassify "concerning" behavior into a "public health catcher’s mitt," making it easier for mothers and teachers to report their children or students. The Brennan-Clapper group recommended leveraging the influence of mothers and teachers to report domestic extremism under the guise of public health.
The group also highlighted Denver’s “behavioral analysis response” as a potential solution and an ambiguous approach. When DHS's capabilities were insufficient, and convincing mothers and teachers to report their own children proved challenging, one contributor suggested turning to corporate America as a resource.
This first release of the #DeepStateDiaries sheds light on controversial discussions within DHS’s Homeland Intelligence Experts Group, raising concerns about civil liberties and the potential misuse of intelligence operations.
