Decline in Violent Crimes Observed During Biden's Final Year in Office, United States.
In the year 2024, hate crimes against African Americans, the LGBTQ+ community, and religious minorities remained alarmingly high, according to data from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the FBI. Despite a slight numerical decrease from the record levels seen in 2023, the FBI's 2024 Hate Crimes Statistics Act Report documented the second-highest number of hate crimes ever reported, highlighting persistent targeting of these groups.
The SPLC emphasized that leadership changes and improved early intervention and prevention are crucial to reversing the trend of hate crimes rooted in white supremacy. They called on Congress to pass legislation that invests in hate crime reporting, research, and prevention programs, particularly in the South where hate crime reporting is often incomplete and unreliable. However, the Trump administration’s proposed 2026 budget cuts funding for hate crime training and prevention, and the Department of Justice has terminated more than 50 hate crime prevention initiatives nationwide.
For religious minorities, specific issues include a substantial rise in antisemitic incidents—5% higher in 2024 than 2023, reaching the highest number on record according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The Biden-Harris administration released the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Hate in December 2024, representing a governmental effort to address anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate.
Legislative efforts continue to seek significant funding to improve hate crime prevention and community support, including programs named after Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. for hate crime investigations and prosecutions, as well as grants to improve reporting and community readiness. However, some Department of Justice programs like the Community Relations Service face proposed elimination despite their essential role in mediating conflict and supporting affected communities.
In summary, hate crimes targeting Black Americans, LGBTQ+ people, and religious minorities remain at near or historic levels in 2024, despite a small numerical decrease from 2023. There is a critical need for better reporting, prevention programs, and legislative support to address and reduce hate crimes. Funding cuts proposed for 2026 threaten existing hate crime prevention efforts, raising concerns among civil rights organizations like the SPLC. Antisemitic incidents continue to rise sharply, with a comprehensive national strategy recently launched to counter Islamophobia and anti-Arab hate.
1) The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and civil rights organizations have called for increased political action to combat hate crimes, particularly in the context of the Trump administration's proposed budget cuts for hate crime training and prevention in 2026.
2) The rising trends of hate crimes against religious minorities, such as the considerable increase in antisemitic incidents, demonstrate the urgent need for crime-and-justice policies that focus on crime prevention, reporting, and research, as suggested by the SPLC and various legislative efforts.
