Will County Gazette

The Republican lawmakers have questioned the Disinformation Governance Board's constitutionality.

The seemingly unplanned announcement of the Disinformation Governance Board by the Department of Homeland Security has left the political world by a storm and has invited backlash from several people. The revelation mainly came when Rep. Lauren Underwood questioned Alejandro Mayorkas on how the DHS is planning to handle the Spanish mis- and disinformation.   

"What I've heard you describe is internal organizations. What we are looking for is external communications with the American public, including those for whom Spanish is their predominant language to make sure that the information the department around mis- and disinformation campaign is reaching those individuals," Underwood said.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a "fact sheet" on May 2 describing the Disinformation Governance Board as an internal working group established with the purpose of combatting disinformation, which DHS defines as "false information that is deliberately spread with the intent to deceive or mislead." DHS has also singled out some foreign states like Iran, Russia, and China that are spreading disinformation alongside several transnational criminal and human smuggling operations.

The fitness of the Board's director, Nina Jankowicz, has also been called into question, as reported Washington Post. Conservative critics have pointed out that she is partisan and also referred to the 2016 campaign where she supported Hillary Clinton. However, Mayorkas has defended Nina’s background. "There are people in (DHS) who have a diverse range of views, and they're incredibly dedicated to the mission. We're not the opinion police," Mayorkas said on Fox News. "She has testified before Congress a number of times, she's recognized as a tremendous authority, and we're very fortunate to have her."

Meanwhile, in the last few weeks, Mayorkas also warned of a sudden rise in the spread of disinformation which is mainly trying to break down the integrity of the election system, CNN reports. "We are seeing a rise in misinformation and disinformation that is attempting to strike at the integrity of the election system and people's right to vote," Mayorkas said.