Thread by @ajplus

For the past decade, white supremacist violence has risen in the U.S. to become the biggest domestic threat. But in April, the FBI changed its terror classification system in a way that minimizes the role of white supremacists. @natashalennard explores for AJ+: (1/13)

The FBI used to classify domestic terror cases in 11 categories, of which "white supremacists" was one. Now it uses four:
– racially motivated violent extremism
– anti-government & anti-authority extremism
– animal rights & environmental extremism
– abortion extremism
(2/13)

As a result of these changes, white supremacist violence is now folded into the "racially motivated extremism" category. The consequence of this change is that the public won’t be able to tell whether or how well the FBI is actively pursuing white supremacists. (3/13)

Critics say this is deliberate. "Lumping 'white supremacist' terrorism into the broader category of 'racially motivated' terrorism allows the FBI to hide the fact that it’s not putting enough resources into investigating violent racism," @radsandy of Free Press told me. (4/13)

The effects are already visible: At a recent House Homeland Security Committee hearing, the FBI’s asst director for counterterrorism was asked how many domestic investigations target white supremacists. He could only claim that 50% relate to "racially motivated extremism." (5/13)

In recent years, FBI initiatives have made it seem as if black dissenters are as much of a threat as white supremacists. In 2017, the agency invented the term "Black Identity Extremism" to harass Black Lives Matter activists. (6/13)
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A 2017 leaked FBI memo revealed efforts to seek out "black identity extremists" by tracking the protected First Amendment activity of black protesters. The ACLU is currently suing the FBI for the surveillance program's records. (7/13)
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In response to the recategorization, six Democratic senators, including Dick Durbin, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, sent a letter to the head of the FBI and to the attorney general complaining about govt failure to combat white supremacist terror. (8/13) ajplus.co/xtenv

The senators wrote that the "racially motivated extremism" category "inappropriately combines incidents involving white supremacists and so-called 'Black identity extremists,' a fabricated term based on a faulty assessment of a small number of isolated incidents." (9/13)

Some advocacy groups see the FBI's move as a direct response to demands from Congress that law enforcement be more transparent about its efforts to fight white supremacy. (10/13)

It’s not accurate to say that white supremacists have been a blind spot for police. Recent reports – including an in-depth investigation by the New York Times – have found that U.S. law enforcement chose to ignore the threat as it was on the rise. (11/13) ajplus.co/4w4at

"From the Black Panthers and MLK Jr. to Black Lives Matter today, the government has routinely violated the First Amendment rights of black people. There's no reason to think this administration has departed from that long trend; they're just hiding it," said @radsandy. (12/13)

After the New Zealand mosque massacre, President Trump was asked if he thought white nationalism was a growing threat. He replied, "I don't, really." By collapsing terror categories, the FBI is reflecting the administration’s willingness to enable white supremacists. (13/13)