The administration has warned that the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran could prompt further attempts to harm the Jewish community domestically

SAUL LOEB/AFP
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on her nomination to be U.S. Attorney General, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on January 15, 2025.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Wednesday that the Department of Justice was keeping a close eye on potential homeland threats to the Jewish community that may be motivated by the American and Israeli military strikes on Iran.
Bondi’s comments followed recent administration warnings about potential Iran-linked “sleeper cells” in the country or radicalization of individuals domestically by Shia or Iranian propaganda.
Bondi, asked by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) about potential threats to the Jewish community, highlighted the Capital Jewish Museum attack, the firebombing of activists at a hostage-awareness march in Boulder, Colo., and the arson attack on Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home as a series of connected incidents.
“We are all over these cases, working hand in hand with the FBI, with Homeland Security, all of our agencies are working so well together to try to combat this throughout our country,” Bondi said. “Without getting into detail in this setting, Iran, of course, is a threat. They have been a threat, and they always will be a threat to our country. And we are working hand in hand with all of our agencies to protect Americans and to keep us safe. We have a 24/7 command center at the FBI set up for situations just like you described, senator.”
Bondi again addressed “sleeper cell” concerns later in the hearing, adding that the administration had arrested 1,500 undocumented Iranian immigrants in the country, saying she would want to discuss the issue further in a classified setting.
“Have they invaded our country? Absolutely,” Bondi said.
She also identified Jerusalem Cafe, a coffee shop in Oakland, Calif., that expelled a customer for wearing a Star of David hat and which has menu items honoring terrorists, as part of a trend connected to the antisemitic attacks.
“My Civil Rights division is all over that,” Bondi said. “My Civil Rights division is going after them with full force.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) urged Bondi to “reconsider” pulling security details from former U.S. officials such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whom Iran has targeted for assassination.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) asked Bondi about officials who have been reassigned from counterterrorism and cybersecurity to immigration-related cases, raising concerns that the terrorism cases were being sapped of resources.
She said the DOJ team is attentive to national security threats, arguing that national security “is going hand in hand with the people who have come into our country through our borders.” Bondi added that the DOJ is also focused on foreign cybersecurity threats.