The Justice Department convened its quarterly interagency meeting with Jewish community stakeholders yesterday. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland provided remarks, underscoring the department’s commitment to addressing hate crimes. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division outlined relevant enforcement efforts and highlighted actions to prevent and combat discrimination and hate crimes. Assistant Secretary of Education Catherine Lhamon of the Office for Civil Rights also addressed attendees, emphasizing efforts to ensure safe learning environments at educational institutions.
Justice Department leadership, including representatives from the Civil Rights Division, FBI, Community Relations Service, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Privacy & Civil Liberty, and the Office of Public Integrity, heard from participating organizations about hate crimes and incidents, campus safety, and civil rights protections around elections. Representatives from other federal agencies were also present, including Officer Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and representatives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Combating hate crimes, protecting religious freedom, and addressing claims of discrimination are among the division’s top priorities. The meeting represents ongoing efforts to engage with organizations on issues affecting Jewish communities.
The department has continued prosecuting hate crimes. Recent cases include a North Carolina man charged with making antisemitic threats to a rabbi in Georgia; a California man who pleaded guilty to shooting two Jewish men near a Los Angeles synagogue; a Michigan man convicted for conspiring with white supremacist group members to victimize Jewish and Black people; a Mississippi man who pleaded guilty to cyberstalking synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses in Pennsylvania; an Indiana man sentenced for sending violent antisemitic threats to the Anti-Defamation League; and leaders of the Terrorgram Collective charged for using digital platforms to solicit others for hate crimes against immigrants based on bigotry.
In May, Assistant Attorney General Clarke recognized Jewish Heritage Month during remarks at the annual federal inter-agency Holocaust Remembrance Program.
In March, the department hosted a community safety webinar for Jewish stakeholders where resource documents were released to help understand federal civil rights laws prohibiting violence and discrimination based on religion and national origin.
If you believe you or someone else experienced religious or national origin discrimination, report it online at civilrights.justice.gov. For reporting hate crimes, contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant Attorney General Clarke meets with Jewish stakeholders during the quarterly interagency meeting.