Garland launches 30-day DOJ review of hate-based violence, incidents

Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Tuesday that he is initiating a 30-day review of how the Justice Department can combat hate crime.

"Established during Reconstruction, in the aftermath of the Civil War, the Department’s first mission was to secure the civil rights promised by the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments," Garland said, pointing to the early days of the DOJ involving the prosecution of "hundreds of cases" against Ku Klux Klan members. "The recent rise in hate crimes and hate incidents, particularly the disturbing trend in reports of violence against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community since the start of the pandemic, requires renewed energy and emphasis on investigation and prosecution, increased community outreach, and the improved collection of data critical to understanding the evolving nature and extent of hate crimes and hate incidents in all their forms," Garland continued.