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Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney Lisa O. Monaco, Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm, and Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta announced new initiatives at an event at the Justice Department commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Attorney General’s memorandum on improving the Department’s efforts to combat hate crimes and hate incidents and the enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes and Khalid Jabara-Heather Heyer NO HATE Acts. They were joined by family members of Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer, members of Congress; Black, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community-based organizations; civil rights organizations; and law enforcement leaders.
“Throughout our history, and to this day, hate crimes have a singular impact because of the terror and fear they inflict on entire communities,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “No one in this country should have to fear the threat of hate fueled violence. The Justice Department will continue to use every resource at its disposal to confront unlawful acts of hate, and to hold accountable those who perpetrate them.”
“No one in America should fear violence because of who they are. The department will not tolerate any form of terrorism, hate-based violence, or unlawful discrimination,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “We are committed to drawing on the full resources of the department and the expertise across all of its components. The communities we serve deserve no less...The steps that we’ve outlined today and the more to come reflect a firm belief here in the department and among this leadership team that it is our collective responsibility to do all we can to confront hate in all its forms. We are committed to doing just that.”
“...We use our criminal enforcement authority to prosecute those who commit hate crimes. But it is not enough to wait until a crime occurs – we must address hate well before it escalates to violence,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.“The department uses all of its tools to combat hate and mediate conflict to ensure that communities remain safe and feel protected. The department also seeks to develop resources that can help empower communities targeted by hate and that provide effective strategies that the department, government officials, and law enforcement can use to engage with and serve those communities.”
As set forth in the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, the Justice Department and HHS announced the joint issuance of guidance aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID–19 pandemic. This guidance provides an overview of the rise of hate crimes and hate incidents during the pandemic, including a surge of hate crimes and hate incidents against Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, and several steps that law enforcement, government officials, and others can take to raise awareness of increased hate crimes and incidents, and to use increased awareness as a tool for the prevention of and response to hate crimes.