Democrats and rights groups accuse Trump's Justice Department of ignoring hate crimes

"The congressional representatives have written a letter expressing their concerns to Attorney General Pam Bondi, and a coalition of activists has filed a federal lawsuit seeking the restoration of the Community Relations Service, an agency within the DOJ that has provided conflict resolution services around the nation since it was established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Community Relations Service staff has been reduced to one."

""We write to express our significant concerns that the Department of Justice is refusing to properly enforce federal hate crime statutes and to urge you to prioritize the Department's work to prevent, respond to, and prosecute hate crimes against all marginalized communities," said a letter sent to Bondi this week by 105 members of Congress. They were led by Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Mark Takano, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Grace Meng."

"Related: Anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes have risen around the world since 2020: report In April, they noted, the DOJ canceled over 370 grants from the Office of Justice Programs, totaling an estimated $500 million, which supported local law enforcement agencies; victims' services organizations; substance use and mental health treatment, research, and evaluation; public safety initiatives; and more. Also, the Trump administration's fiscal 2026 budget calls for cutting all grants authorized under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Ha"

The Department of Justice has deprioritized hate crime enforcement, with notable effects on crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender. Members of Congress sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi raising significant concerns and urging prioritization of prevention, response, and prosecution; 105 members signed the letter led by Mark Takano and Grace Meng. A coalition of activists filed a federal lawsuit seeking restoration of the Community Relations Service, established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Community Relations Service staff has been reduced to one. In April, the DOJ canceled over 370 Office of Justice Programs grants totaling an estimated $500 million that supported law enforcement, victims' services, mental health and substance-use treatment, research, and public safety; the fiscal 2026 budget proposes cuts to grants authorized under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. provisions.

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