South Michigan News

On Tuesday, a Dearborn native linked to ISIS was arrested by the FBI for attempting to attack a U.S. Army facility in Warren using a drone. In light of this event, State Representatives Will Bruck and Denise Mentzer have stressed the significance of the work being done by the House Oversight Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Foreign Influence.

“For weeks, our committee has been learning more about drone technology and their capabilities, and Tuesday’s incident shows exactly why this work is so important,” said Mentzer, who serves as Minority Vice Chair of the committee. “With drones quickly becoming one of the most utilized weapons of war, our committee’s interest in this topic appears to be both very timely and absolutely essential.”

The Homeland Security and Foreign Influence Subcommittee has recently engaged with various experts on drone operations during its last two meetings. Bruck, who chairs the committee, also organized a symposium focused on drone technology. This event brought together lawmakers, experts, and stakeholders to discuss effective ways to regulate drone use and limit potential misuse by foreign adversaries.

Bruck has led efforts for a legislative plan aimed at curbing influence from certain foreign countries that pose security concerns. The legislation includes Iraq and Syria—countries with territories under ISIS control—as part of those listed as concerns.

“Michigan is home to a multitude of critical infrastructure sites and military installations like the one involved in the thwarted attack on Tuesday,” Bruck stated. “A state-level safety net is vital to preventing future attacks by adversarial foreign countries or entities under their control. We should not wait until one of these attacks actually succeeds to finally take this issue seriously. We should implement a robust plan to address foreign threats now. Although this may not be on everyone’s minds right now, it soon will be once a planned attack is successful.”