Washington, Oct 21 (PTI): Over 100 US lawmakers shot off a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate the attempted mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Illinois as a federal hate crime and also demanded answers on steps taken to address online threats targeting Indian-Americans.
The letter from the lawmakers, led by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, came days after a 19-year-old gunman tried to open fire at the Sri Venkateswara Swami temple in Aurora, near Chicago. The plan failed due to a jammed shotgun, thus averting a tragic incident.
The letter from 105 members of Congress, including four US Senators, also criticised the Trump administration’s messaging, saying it sought to legitimise racial and religious stereotypes. Indian-American Congresspersons Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Ami Bera, Suhas Subramanyam and Shri Thanedar are signatories to the letter.
They cite a Department of Homeland Security post depicting a Sikh man with the message, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh,” and a Department of Education post declaring “Make College Football Great Again” after a Texas Republican complained about South Asians attending a University of Texas football game.
“We are also deeply concerned that communications from the administration have risked amplifying, rather than rejecting, hostility toward these communities,” the lawmakers said in the letter dated October 20.
They said the alleged combination of targeted racial hatred, a religious setting and preparations for mass violence demands a comprehensive federal response.
“We appreciate the FBI’s reported assistance to local investigators and urge the Bureau to ensure that potential hate-crime violations receive explicit attention,” the lawmakers said.
They cited a September 2026 report that identified more than 5,42,000 anti-South Asian hateful posts on X between January 2025 and June 2026, with the monthly volume rising approximately 240 per cent from January 2024 to June 2026.
A Carnegie Endowment survey also found that 48 per cent of Indian American respondents encountered racist posts targeting their community very or somewhat often since the start of 2025, while one in four reported being called a slur.
The lawmakers sought to know whether the FBI is examining potential racial, ethnic and religious bias in the Aurora case, whether online platforms or other individuals facilitated the alleged plot, and what steps were being taken to protect houses of worship.
“No one should fear being targeted because of their ancestry, appearance or faith, and no congregation should have to wonder whether gathering for worship will make its members targets of mass violence,” the lawmakers said. PTI SKU
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