The Department of Homeland Security issued a new terror threat bulletin Wednesday, warning of potential violence motivated by COVID-19 public health measures and the arrival of Afghan evacuees following the U.S. withdrawal from the country. 

The bulletin continues themes from the last National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin issued in August pinning domestic violent extremists (DVEs) as the greatest terror risk to the country, a group that includes anti-government extremists and racially or ethnically motivated extremists.

The bulletin said ethnically motivated extremists are “exploiting recent events in Afghanistan,” including the arrival of some 70,000 Afghan evacuees into the country. ...

But it went on to focus on a number of domestic issues that could spur violence, particularly as vaccine disinformation and COVID-19 restrictions continue to rile extremists.

“If a new COVID-19 variant emerges and new public health restrictions are imposed as a result, anti-government violent extremists could potentially use the new restrictions as a rationale to target government or public health officials or facilities,” the bulletin states. ...