Related Content
Calls for improved federal agency coordination and better hate crime data collection
New York, NY, November 30, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today submitted a written statement to the House Committee on Homeland Security on how to keep America secure in the new age of terror. The committee on “World Wide Threats: Keeping America Secure in the New Age of Terror,” convened hearings earlier today on Capitol Hill.
ADL’s testimony provided a broad overview of the extremist threats in America, from right-wing extremism and the so-called Alt Right to violent left-wing movements and extremism fueled by radical interpretations of Islam.
ADL also offered several legislative and administrative policy recommendations to help combat extremism holistically, including a strong recommendation to continue funding for Confronting Violent Extremism programs, which enable the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide grants to local communities for efforts to prevent terrorism and other forms of violent hatred.
“We believe an ‘all hands on deck’ holistic approach is required to confront the sophisticated recruitment efforts employed by domestic extremist groups and by ISIS and other terror groups,” said Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “Limiting CVE programs to only focus on Islamic extremism would not only isolate the Muslim American community, but would also exacerbate the problem of how little prevention-based programming right-wing extremists are receiving.”
Other ADL recommendations to combat worldwide terror threats include:
- Using the presidential and congressional bully pulpits to call out bigotry, especially when it comes from our public officials.
- Improved coordination between the Department of Justice and other federal agencies, including efforts to build trust in immigrant, LGBTQ, and other marginalized communities.
- Improved federal hate crime data collection.
- Improved training on campuses for addressing white supremacist and other extremist rallies.
ADL’s statement also addressed the multiple areas seen as pressure points in need of continued attention from the federal government: the emboldening of extremists and hate groups following a polarizing and divisive election campaign; domestic and international extremism and terrorism and the exploitation of social media; and white supremacist fliering and recruitment on college campuses.
“ADL will continue to advocate—in Congress and in the courts—for law enforcement officials to have investigative tools sufficient to deter and prevent terrorism, while appropriately balancing national security and individual rights,” Greenblatt said.