Media Contact: media@asianlawcaucus.org
SAN FRANCISCO – Yesterday the Department of Justice announced an indictment targeting the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a long-standing civil rights organization committed to identifying and fighting back against hate and extremism. This latest action fits a broader pattern of the Trump administration repeatedly attacking non-profit groups and civil rights organizations that challenge its agenda — often by leveraging federal power against political opponents.
The following is a statement from Aarti Kohli, executive director of Asian Law Caucus.
“Civil rights organizations like ours have seen firsthand what hate and extremism do to immigrant communities. Bad actors create fear and chaos for people trying to put food on the table and build a better life for their families. That’s why we have partnered with the Southern Poverty Law Center in litigation to counter voter suppression and anti-immigrant bills across the country. And when anti-Asian hate surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, SPLC helped shed light on the forces behind that harm.
Tracking and exposing armed, organized groups that threaten physical violence against Black, immigrant, LGBTQ, and other marginalized communities is dangerous work. SPLC has taken on that work and risk head on, and the communities we serve have been safer for it. Using a federal indictment to obstruct that work protects the white supremacist groups SPLC has spent decades exposing. The Asian Law Caucus stands in solidarity with SPLC and others working to protect vulnerable communities."