Washington: Over 100 US lawmakers sent 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.
In the letter, the lawmakers write:
“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 letter comes amid a surge in online hostility toward South Asians. A September 2026 report identified more than 542,000 anti-South Asian hateful posts on X between January 2025 and June 2026, with the monthly volume rising approximately 240 percent from January 2024 to June 2026. A Carnegie Endowment survey also found that 48 percent 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 also criticize Trump Administration messaging that they warn risks legitimizing racial and religious stereotypes. 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.
The lawmakers continue:
“We believe such messaging risks lending governmental legitimacy to racial and religious stereotyping. Federal agencies should make clear that debates over immigration or public safety never justify collective suspicion of Indian, Sikh, Hindu, or other South Asian communities.”
The lawmakers are seeking information on 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 the Bureau is taking to protect houses of worship and address credible threats without infringing on First Amendment protections.
The lawmakers requested a written response to the following questions, to the extent consistent with an ongoing investigation, by October 29, 2026:
- Is the FBI investigating the alleged Aurora-area plot as a potential federal hate crime? If so, is that investigation examining both racial or ethnic bias and religious bias, and is the Bureau coordinating with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the appropriate U.S. Attorney’s Office?
- Are investigators examining whether the defendant used online platforms to communicate threats, select potential targets, obtain assistance, or coordinate with others? Are they assessing whether any individuals encouraged or materially assisted the alleged plot?
- What steps is the FBI taking, consistent with the First Amendment and applicable investigative authorities, to identify and assess credible online threats targeting Indian Americans, Hindu Americans, Sikhs, and other South Asian communities? How does the Bureau distinguish protected expression, including offensive speech, from threats and conduct warranting investigation?
- What mechanisms exist for sharing actionable threat information with state and local law enforcement and potentially targeted houses of worship? What outreach and protective resources are being offered to affected communities following this alleged plot?
- Does the FBI have adequate personnel, language expertise, and analytical capacity to assess threats involving anti-Indian, anti-Hindu, and broader anti-South Asian bias? What additional resources, if any, does the Bureau believe it needs?
The lawmakers conclude:
“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. We urge the FBI to investigate the evidence fully, pursue all applicable offenses, and provide affected communities with a clear account of the steps being taken to protect them.”
The 105 signers are: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ami Bera, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Rep. Shri Thanedar, Rep. Ro Khanna, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson, Rep. Bradley Scott Schneider, Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, Rep. Mike Quigley, Rep. Robin L. Kelly, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Bill Foster, Rep. Lauren Underwood, Rep. Eric Sorensen, Rep. Sean Casten, Rep. Danny K. Davis, Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Rep. Grace Meng, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Dave Min, Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, Rep. Derek T. Tran, Rep. André Carson, Rep. Norma J. Torres, Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. James R. Walkinshaw, Rep. Kevin Mullin, Rep. Sarah Elfreth, Rep. Juan Vargas, Rep. Marc A. Veasey, Rep. Shontel M. Brown, Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr., Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., Rep. Yassamin Ansari, Rep. Greg Stanton, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Dina Titus, Rep. Brad Sherman, Rep. Greg Casar, Rep. Lucy McBath, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II, Rep. Darren Soto, Rep. Robert J. Menendez, Rep. Lateefah Simon, Rep. Veronica Escobar, Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi, Rep. Seth Magaziner, Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, Rep. John W. Mannion, Rep. Al Green, Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., Rep. Lois Frankel, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, Rep. Deborah K. Ross, Rep. Hillary J. Scholten, Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Rep. April McClain Delaney, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Steven Horsford, Rep. Wesley Bell, Rep. Analilia Mejia, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Rep. Becca Balint, Rep. Diana DeGette, Rep. Scott H. Peters, Rep. Rick Larsen, Rep. Ted W. Lieu, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán, Rep. Andrea Salinas, Rep. Adam Smith, Rep. Dan Goldman, Sen. Andy Kim, Rep. Sam T. Liccardo, Rep. Gabe Amo, Rep. Haley M. Stevens, Rep. Madeleine Dean, Rep. Kim Schrier, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Paul D. Tonko, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. James P. McGovern, Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Rep. Timothy M. Kennedy, Rep. Valerie P. Foushee, Rep. Doris Matsui, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Mike Thompson, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Suzan K. DelBene, Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr., Rep. Lori Trahan, and Rep. Brendan F. Boyle.
