The Department of Homeland Security is preparing for attacks against any of the dozens of federal buildings in the Washington region that it believes may be put under siege by rioters in the days and weeks after the election, according to a spokesman.
“We are concerned about attacks on federal facilities,” a DHS spokesman who asked to speak on background told the Washington Examiner Monday. “Tomorrow, that is our No. 1 mandate where you would see a DHS response.”
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The General Services Administration oversees 190 federally owned buildings, including more than 50 that house federal agencies. Regardless of who wins the election on Tuesday, any of the buildings could become the focus of extremists or protesters who turn violent and wish to carry out a Portland-style ambush on federal buildings across the city, the spokesman said.
The DHS is mandated by law to defend federal property, including federal courthouses, agency offices, the Capitol, the White House, and other facilities. The official said he was not aware of specific threats against any buildings.
Several federal buildings in Washington, D.C., have a separate law enforcement department, including the U.S. Capitol Police for the Capitol, National Park Service for federal monuments and memorials, and the Secret Service for the White House and Treasury Department. The Federal Protective Service is an agency within the DHS that protects federal buildings through its in-house officers and privately contracted officers. This staff would be the first to assist at federal facilities.
“Working alongside our federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, the Department of Homeland Security is fully prepared regarding election night safety and security,” Chase Jennings, a second DHS spokesman, said in a statement.
