Key facts
- Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated the U.S. faces its highest-ever threat level.
- Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) has lapsed.
- Lawmakers did not extend the surveillance powers.
- Mullin argues the lapse significantly hinders counter-terrorism efforts.
- Senator Shelley Moore Capito criticized lawmakers for failing to pass a bill to extend Section 702.
- Capito emphasized the program's role in disrupting terrorist attacks.
- Mullin stated Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would only be deployed to polling stations if a threat emerges.
- ICE deployment to polls would be for responding to emergencies, not voter identification.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has declared that the U.S. is currently facing its highest-ever threat level following the lapse of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have extended these critical surveillance powers. Mullin stated that this lapse significantly hinders the nation's counter-terrorism efforts.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito also criticized the legislative process that led to the expiration of Section 702. She urged an end to political gamesmanship, highlighting the program's vital role in disrupting terrorist attacks. The failure to extend FISA's Section 702 means that intelligence-gathering capabilities are now diminished.