WASHINGTON – Senator Dick Durbin participated in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this week focused on combating the rise of hate crimes in the U.S.
The hearing examined threats facing marginalized communities and how the federal government can better protect the civil rights and safety of all including Jewish, Arab, and Muslim Americans.
Durbin recognized the family members of those who were victims of hate crimes. He introduced Hanaan Shahin, mother of Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old boy from Plainfield, Illinois, who was murdered last October for his identity as a Palestinian- American. He also acknowledged the family of Rose Mallinger, one of the 11 congregants killed at the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in 2018.
A resolution was introduced honoring Alfayoumi. In his opening statement, Durbin said that since 2000, white supremacists have been responsible for more homicides than any other domestic extremist group, according to federal law.
He also made references to Donald Trump’s recent claim that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio are eating cats and dogs.
“This type of rhetoric can have deadly consequences. In recent days, there have been numerous bomb and shooting threats in Springfield, Ohio, and schools and other institutions have been forced to close,” Durbin added.
“And look at the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. On social media, the shooter claimed that Jewish Americans were conspiring to destroy the white race by encouraging non-white immigrants to invade our country.”
Durbin has made an effort to speak out in support of Haitian immigrants in recent days. He spoke about Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who is the son of Haitian immigrants and described his service to the state and the nation as “invaluable.”
I’m on the Senate floor condemning the outrageous and false claims being spread by former President Trump and his VP candidate, J.D. Vance, about the Haitian immigrant community. Watch. https://t.co/oMYZv16vyu
— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) September 18, 2024
Durbin reintroduced the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act last year, which would establish federal offices to combat domestic terrorism, require federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess the threat, and provide training and resources to state, local, and tribal law enforcement to address it.
In May 2022, Senate Republicans filibustered the House-passed Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, less than two weeks after the racially-motivated attack at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket that killed ten Black Americans.