As @DHSgov 'initiating crucial research to mitigate COVID-19' at National Biodefense Analysis & Countermeasures Center lab with DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, easy to forget under Trump: US gov's 3rd-largest agency charged with *much* more than immigration! 1/ 
@DHSgov The mandate of this mammoth agency created in chaos after 9/11 (because of failures of coordination & info sharing...)(that some argue shouldn't even exist) is *massive*: FEMA! Cybersecurity! Elections! Grid! Domestic extremism! Coast Guard! Immigration! Biodefense! etc etc 2/
That said, Trump admin has decidedly mixed record in almost single-minded focus on immigration enforcement, ignoring, deemphasizing or defunding other key missions & threats. Ex: Rise of domestic extremism lat.ms/2WPhzrs @latimes 3/
Ex: 'Gutting' the very Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office being relied on now amid coronavirus, by my excellent (former) @latimes colleague David Willman - A few here but read whole investigation: lat.ms/2UkOt1Q ; lat.ms/39iwdKD 4/
Ex: My colleague @Emily_Baum excellent reporting on cybersecurity lapses in the nation’s bioterrorism defense program, BioWatch lat.ms/3ajzBGr (Read more too @latimes ) 5/
Ex: DHS 'stopped updating its annual models of the havoc that pandemics would wreak' on US in 2017 - a great, recent, all-too-relevant example from @playbookplus this a.m. by Daniel Lippman: "DHS wound down pandemic models before coronavirus struck" politi.co/3ak3rdY 6/
@playbookplus Trump on #5 (Acting)DHS sec, record vacancies at top, & other appointments deemed illegal. In Nov @DHSOIG warned DHS had “high attrition, changing mandates, and difficulties implementing permanent plans, procedures and programs" lat.ms/33JhmHQ Cue: Global pandemic. END
