Cabot Phillips

Now, at the same time, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has been ramping up her warning about the threat posed by terror actors, something that's really been heightened since the Bondi Beach massacre in Australia and the attacks on U.S.

service members in Syria.

Now, here was Gabbard during a speech in America Fest on this earlier this month.

In the wake of all of that, major cities around the world, including here in the U.S., have altered and even canceled New Year's Eve celebrations due to security concerns.

Well, Chicago is one.

They've ramped up their security measures.

State and local officials released a joint threat assessment last week, warning that crowded celebrations such as the annual New Year's Eve fireworks at Navy Pier could be, quote, attractive targets for either domestic or foreign terrorists.

Now, they plan to go ahead with these events, but it will be increasing security in the area and will be actively monitoring for potential attacks with drones or vehicles to ram crowds, they said.

Now, New York has also been put on notice.

An FBI threat assessment for the massive Times Square New Year's Eve celebration raised red flags.

Now, the assessment noted that the city is symbolically a, quote, aspirational target for would-be terrorists and warned specifically about vehicle ramming attacks.

Now, officials say the largest concerns are about potential lone wolf actors, as well as small organized groups.

So expect to see even more security this year for that.

Sure.

So yes, while most of us were taking it easy, ICE certainly was not.

The agency continued to arrest people in the country illegally who are facing additional charges or convictions for other serious crimes.

Now, the Daily Wire heard directly from the Department of Homeland Security.

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin had this, let's call it a holiday message, about what the department was up to over the last week.

She said, quote,

While families across the country joined together for Christmas celebrations, ICE continued delivering the American people the greatest gift of all, getting criminals out of our neighborhoods and protecting our families.