Department of Homeland Security warns employees about heightened threats

Amid the contentious debate over the Trump administration’s immigration policies, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials sent a warning about heightened threats to employees.

The ABC-7 I-Team obtained an email from Claire M. Grady, Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, sent to all DHS employees.

“In recent days, DHS has determined there may be a heightened threat against DHS employees in response to U.S. Government actions surrounding immigration. This assessment is based on specific and credible threats that have been levied against certain DHS employees and a sharp increase in the overall number of general threats against DHS employees,” Grady wrote.

WikiLeaks published a database of ICE employees’ information this week.

Grady listed the following safety tips for DHS employees in her email:

If you ever feel threatened, call local law enforcement (9-1-1). If local law enforcement is slow to respond, please call the Federal Protective Service at 1-877-437-7411. Remain alert while working in and around your place of employment and immediately report suspicious activity to law enforcement or security personnel. Always be aware of your surroundings and if possible, familiarize yourself with your destination prior to leaving your home or place of work. Maintain situational awareness while in public. Remove your badge when in public. Be aware of your public conversations. Be aware of unfamiliar persons attempting to elicit information. Always keep doors and windows locked.

Executive vice president of the local Border Patrol Union Carlos Favela said agents are concerned.

“Agents are always on high alert at work, and now because of these threats they’re also doing it off-duty at home when they’re with their families,” Favela said.

Favela said most of the threats have come on social media.

“Our agents, our members are being briefed almost on a daily basis as to the threats. We’ve seen a lot of threats on Facebook, and on Youtube. We tell them to be vigilant on duty and off duty,” Favela said.

Pastor at New Vision Church Richard Rodriguez said he was approached by a parishioner who showed him an email detailing a death threat to her relative. Rodriguez said the relative is a DHS employee in El Paso.

” I was approached by one of my per who was visibly upset and she had an email in her phone, she wanted me to read it,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know who, I don’t know who has it and who did the leaking but somehow it’s out there. And the employees of DHS are getting death threats and so I addressed the congregation and we prayed.”

DHS officials tell ABC-7 as of Wednesday, no employees have been physically harmed.