Democratic presidential hopeful Cory A. Booker on Thursday released a plan intended to combat hate crimes and white supremacist violence that includes a new White House office devoted to the issue and collaboration with social media and online platforms.
Mr. Booker wants to create a new White House office on hate crimes and white supremacist violence to better coordinate federal agencies and responses and set up an external advisory group of community stakeholders to help share information with the federal government.
“Dr. King once said that ’It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me.’ So in my administration, we will use the full force of the presidency to combat hate crimes and root out white supremacist threats wherever they arise,” the New Jersey senator said.
He would also require the Justice Department to publicly report on threats posed by white supremacists every year, direct the FBI to move away from the “racially motivated violent extremism” threat category to reinstate a “white supremacist” designation, and make lynching a federal crime.
Mr. Booker would also direct the Justice Department to expand the list of “sensitive locations” where immigration officials try to avoid enforcement actions, such as schools, hospitals and churches.
The plan also calls for collaboration with social media and online platforms on initiatives such as “civil rights audits.”
His plan comes in the wake of shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that have left 31 people dead.
Authorities have linked the accused El Paso shooter to a document shared online shortly before the mass shooting that warned Texas could be overrun by Hispanics.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.