Asian American caucus blames Trump administration for anti-South Asianhate

Washington, October 16 (IANS) The leadership of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) blamed the Trump administration’s rhetoric and appointments for fuelling anti-South Asian hate, after a foiled white-supremacist plot to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois.The statement was signed by CAPAC Chair Grace Meng, First Vice Chair Mark Takano, Second Vice Chair Jill Tokuda, Whip Ami Bera, Freshman Representative Suhas Subramanyam and Chair Emerita Judy Chu. Bera and Subramanyam are Indian American.“We also cannot ignore the Trump administration’s role in peddling anti-South Asian hate,” the lawmakers said.They cited the appointment of “a man who said to ‘never trust a chinaman or Indian [sic],’” the posting of “white supremacist messaging on official government accounts,” and the echoing of the Great Replacement Theory, which they called “a dangerous far-right ideology that has been referenced by extremists to justify mass shootings and acts of racial terror.”“At the same time, the administration has weakened efforts to combat domestic terrorism by cutting FBI staff tasked with monitoring threats posed by white supremacists and militia groups,” the statement said.The caucus said: “Anti-South Asian hate speech has surged by 240% on X alone over the past two years, driven in part by influential figures who amplify racist rhetoric, scapegoat immigrant communities, and allow bigotry and xenophobia to be pushed further into the mainstream.”The figure comes from a September 2026 report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, linked in the statement.“We are horrified that a white supremacist attempted to carry out a mass shooting targeting Indian Americans at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, where CAPAC Member Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and his family worship,” the lawmakers said.They said the “self-proclaimed Neo-Nazi allegedly fantasized about murdering Indian people, wrote a South Asian slur on a gas canister, and described Indian, Jewish, and African American people as ‘subhumans.’”“This plot exposes the very real danger white supremacist ideology poses to our communities and houses of worship, and it cannot be viewed in isolation,” the statement said.The caucus thanked the suspect’s coworkers who alerted authorities and commended law enforcement. “We must never allow the cancers of anti-South Asian hate, religious bigotry, and white supremacy to take root in our country,” it said.The statement did not name the appointee it quoted or the government accounts it referred to.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a post on X: “Anti-Indian and anti-Hindu rhetoric is at an alarming level in America, and now we are seeing that hatred turn into violence. Bigotry against any community has no place in America.”Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth called the plot “absolutely horrifying” and said in a post on X: “White supremacy and hate have no place in our nation.” Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey said in a post on X: “We must condemn anti-Indian hate and violence, and do everything we can to stop it.”Republicans also spoke out. Rep. Rich McCormick of Georgia, co-chair of the House India Caucus, said in a post on X: “The plot to massacre innocent Americans at a Hindu temple is unequivocally wrong. Violence toward anyone based on a religion, political orientation, or race is evil.” Illinois Republican Darin LaHood said in a post on X that the person behind the attempt “must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”Rep. Bill Foster, whose district includes Aurora, said in a post on X: “Everyone deserves to worship in peace and safety, and no one should live in fear of being targeted because of their faith or ethnicity.”Rep. Ro Khanna, the other India Caucus co-chair, said in a post on X: “As a Hindu American, I am angered by the attempted mass shooting at a Temple by a white supremacist.”Rep. Pramila Jayapal said in a post on X: “Attacks on South Asians have been on the rise, online and by leaders in our own government.” Bera said in a post on X: “Congress must do more to combat hate-fueled violence and protect our communities from these threats.” Rep. Shri Thanedar said in a post on X: “Congress must fight the horrifying rise in anti-Hindu attacks.”Rep. Jamie Raskin said in a post on X: “We must stand together—and strong—against white supremacist hate and violence targeted at temples, synagogues, churches and mosques.”Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a post on X: “The FBI must investigate this and we must protect houses of worship from acts of violence and hate.” Rep. Deborah Ross said in a post on X: “The threats of white supremacy and anti-Indian hate must be taken seriously and unequivocally condemned.”The City of Aurora, in a post on X headlined “Hate Has No Place In The City Of Aurora,” said: “Aurora’s strength lies in its diversity, and every Auroran and American deserves to live and worship without fear.”Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson of Illinois said in a post on X: “Every American deserves to worship without fear, and that starts with leaders who lower the temperature instead of raising it. I stand with my colleague @RepRaja, his family, and every Hindu and Indian American family in Illinois.”Israel’s Consul General in Chicago, Elad Strohmayer, said in a post on X: “I unequivocally condemn the plot targeting a Hindu temple in Aurora. To the Hindu community in Illinois: we stand firmly with you. Your safety and your freedom to worship matter to us.”The FBI, the Justice Department, its Civil Rights Division and the White House had not posted on the plot on X on Thursday. FBI Chicago announced the arrest on Wednesday.The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) also expressed solidarity with the Hindu American community. “The targeting of a Hindu temple is not only an act of anti-Indian hatred, but also an attack on the fundamental promise of religious freedom in America,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, its Executive Director.Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, was taken into custody after local law enforcement received information about a potential mass shooting, according to the FBI’s Chicago field office. Lawmakers from both parties and India’s Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra condemned the plot earlier.