Attorney General Merrick Garland Highlights Domestic Terrorism Threat, Reaffirms Commitment to Protecting Rights of All Americans

On Wednesday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized the Department of Justice (DOJ) for not charging any protesters outside the homes of Supreme Court justices in the wake of the Dobbs decision last year, which overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed the right to abortion access. Cruz argued that the DOJ had not charged any protesters under a statue that makes it a crime to protest outside a Supreme Court justice’s home, while a Pennsylvania anti-abortion demonstrator had been charged under federal law.

In response, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that white supremacists are currently the “most dangerous and most lethal” domestic terror group in the United States, an assessment that falls in line with recent reports on the threat that far-right extremists present.

Garland was asked about the Justice Department’s investigations into former president Donald Trump, the rising fentanyl crisis, Fox News’ grievances about the U.S.-Mexico border, and attacks on pregnancy centers and abortion clinics. He said that the DOJ is “committed to protecting the rights of all Americans, regardless of their political beliefs,” and that it is “vigilant in its efforts to combat domestic terrorism and hate crimes.”

The DOJ has not yet commented on Sen. Cruz’s criticism. However, Garland’s comments indicate that the DOJ is taking the threat of domestic terrorism seriously and is working to protect the rights of all Americans.