The Department of Homeland Security has issued an alert regarding an increased threat, but this one doesn’t involve our nation’s DEFCON level. Nor does it have to do with missiles potentially coming in from North Korea. This alert was an internal warning for DHS employees to be on the lookout for threats coming from our own citizens. They’re citing specific and credible threats coming in from social media and other sources. (Government Executive)

In a memo to employees over the weekend, acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Claire Grady said there has been an increase in the number of threats made against department employees following the recently implemented policy to prosecute every person who crosses the border illegally, a decision that led to the separation of thousands of children from their parents.

“In recent days, DHS has determined there may be a heightened threat against DHS employees in response to U.S. government actions surrounding immigration,” Grady wrote. “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—although the veracity of each threat varies.”

The agency further cited the publication of ICE employees’ home addresses and other personal information at Wikileaks. The report doesn’t state whether they included this next item or not, but they probably should have. Somebody left a burnt, decapitated animal carcass on the porch of a DHS employee’s house this week. (Fox News)

A burned animal carcass was reportedly left on the doorstep of a Department of Homeland Security staffer as tensions grow between the Trump administration and those who are protesting its “zero tolerance” immigration policy.

This isn’t precisely the same as leaving the head of a horse in somebody’s bed, but it’s not too far off. (The report didn’t specify what type of animal was used.) So if you don’t think there’s a credible threat out there you simply haven’t been paying attention.

What are DHS staff supposed to do about all of this? The usual. The agency is instructing them to call 911 or the Federal Protective Service if they feel threatened in public or at home. They are also being told to keep their doors and windows locked at their houses or apartments and to strengthen their internet security. Beyond that are the usual warnings about being unusually “vigilant” when going around in public.

I’m not knocking any of these precautions because they all make sense. The real problem here is the fact that we live in a time when such warnings are required in the first place. You can toss out all of the whataboutism you like, but in this instance, the problem is coming entirely from the left and deranged opponents of the President and his policies. Public employees should have nothing to fear from vocal critics, protests, marches or voter registration drives. Their bosses in elected office should fear nothing more than defeat in the next election. But now we not only have government employees being hounded out of places in the public square but having decapitated animal carcasses dumped on their property.

The wheels are coming off at the moment. I have no idea how we slow this train down before somebody winds up dead.