US Allocates Additional $210 Million to Safeguard Faith Groups from Hate Crimes By Reuters

By Kanishka Singh

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced an additional $210 million in funding to enhance the security of faith-based institutions and nonprofit organizations in response to a rise in hate incidents amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Rights advocates have raised alarms about increasing threats facing American Muslims, Arabs, and Jews since the outbreak of the war in Gaza and the subsequent military actions in Lebanon following the assault carried out by Hamas on October 7.

CONTEXT

Recent high-profile incidents in the U.S. include the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Muslim girl in Texas, the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois, the stabbing of a Muslim man in Texas, an assault on a Muslim man in New York, and the shooting of three Muslim students in Vermont.

There have also been threats of violence against Jewish individuals at Cornell University, resulting in a conviction and sentencing, as well as a foiled plot to attack a Jewish community center in New York City and a physical assault on a Jewish man in Michigan.

The new funding will enable organizations to bolster their security measures through personnel, technology, and other resources, according to the Homeland Security Department.

BY THE NUMBERS

This latest allocation of $210 million is on top of $160 million that was announced in June.