FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2026
CONTACT: Jarice Thompson,jarice@ourfinancialsecurity.org
Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund Decries DOJ’s Attack on the Southern Poverty Law Center:
This administration has repeatedly made its opposition to civil rights strikingly clear. On the very first day of his second term, the President issued blanket pardons or dropped charges for the nearly 1,600 people involved in an attempted violent overthrow of this country’s democracy, including those with clear ties to white supremacist and paramilitary groups. That same day saw an astounding number of hostile and cruel orders, including dismantling anti-discrimination protections on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation, eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion in the federal government, and attempting to end birthright citizenship.
It stands to reason that the administration’s attacks on civil rights would include directly targeting civil rights organizations working to ensure that all people can live, love, and work while being safe from hate and discrimination. The Southern Policy Law Center (SPLC) is one of the most recent victims of the administration’s assaults. SPLC has documented and fought back against violent extremism for over half a century, going after the Klan, the Aryan Nations, and other white supremacist groups. It has successfully fought to make Alabama eliminate its chain gangs, won the releases of those wrongfully convicted, and fought to protect LGBTQ+ students from bullying and harassment.
The SPLC is being targeted because it fights for civil rights and wins. The administration wants this to be a message to all of us who work to secure the basic dignity of all people. It wants to silence us. It wants to intimidate us. It fails to understand, however, that we know we are stronger together. We will stand in each other’s defense. We will not be silent.
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