SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that grant money is coming to California to help prepare the state for natural disasters and man-made threats like terrorism.
The focus areas include election security, cyber security, border security, and three others.
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the threats to the homeland are evolving. Twenty years ago, he said it was a foreign terrorist trying to enter the country. Now, he said the greatest threats is domestic violent extremism stemming from an ideology of hate, antigovernmental sentiments, false narratives and more.
Here are parts of the conversation Political reporter Morgan Rynor had with Secretary Mayorkas:
Morgan: “How will this funding be used to do secure future elections?”
Mayorkas: “Election officials are facing threat of physical violence. They are facing the threat of cybersecurity attacks. They are facing the threat of disinformation and misinformation. There's a wide array of threats, and what we do is we provide resources so that they can secure the polling place where people vote and protect the integrity.”
Morgan: “Can you be more specific about where the election security threats you say are coming from?”
Mayorkas: “Of course, they are coming from within and from the outside. We are seeing our foreign adversaries seek to impair the integrity of election through the spread of disinformation. We see it also from within, from individuals who seek to influence a particular outcome and intimidate people arriving at their polling place.”
Morgan: “I do have to ask since Republicans have accused you of lying about the border being secure, whether or not you stand by that statement and why this money is needed.”
Mayorkas: “Of course I stand by my comments, and we are dedicated to increasing the security of the border. That's what we do in the department of homeland security. We are not complacent, we're not satisfied with the level of security, we're always seeking to build it.”
Morgan: “Quick follow up question because the comment that you made about it being secured did come before we found out from the US Customs and Border Patrol, that there were about 500,000 known getaways since October. I know you said that you still stand by your statement, but what do you see and think when you see that?”
Mayorkas: “Morgan, exactly what I said just a moment ago, we've got a work to do to make the border more secure...We are incredibly proud of what we do every single day. And we are relentless in addressing the threats that we face. And our goal is to be more and more secure. Every day.”
Morgan: “Part of the money is going to physically securing nonprofit organizations that are at "high risk" of terrorist attack. I see some of the organizations that are getting this money are right here in my area, they are churches, they are temples. So, my question for you is, is there an immediate threat to them?”
Mayorkas: “So, we know right now have no specific credible threat to necessarily a particular organization, but we're very mindful of the threat landscape as a whole. And the reality is the sad and too often tragic reality is that acts of violence born of hate, born of discrimination, targeting a faith-based organizations of every denomination, are a reality.”
Organizations receiving grants for the first time this year include: Fellowship Baptist Church of Manteca, Manteca, CA, Pastor of All Saints University Church in Turlock, CA, Chabad of Topanga in Topanga, CA, and Pastor of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton, CA.
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