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Number of hate groups in U.S. rises to all-time high, watchdog says

The number of hate groups operating in the United States rose seven per cent to an all-time high in 2018, reflecting an increasingly divisive debate on immigration and demographic change, the Southern Poverty Law Centre said on Wednesday.

Targets in SPLC report say some groups mislabelled, White House previously rejected charges of bias

Thomson Reuters ·
The SPLC, which has tracked hate groups since 1971, found there were 1,020 operating in the United States last year, surpassing the 1,018 record set in 2011 and marking the fourth consecutive year of growth. (Stephanie Keith/Reuters)

The number of hate groups operating in the United States rose to an all-time high in 2018, reflecting an increasingly divisive debate on immigration and demographic change, the Southern Poverty Law Centre said on Wednesday.

The SPLC, which has tracked hate groups since 1971, found 1,020 were operating in the United States last year, a seven per cent increase compared to 2017 and the fourth consecutive year of growth.

The previous record was 1,018 hate groups set in 2011.

The SPLC's annual report on hate activities blamed the rise in part on Republican President Donald Trump, whose administration has focused on reducing illegal and legal immigration into the United States.

"The numbers tell a striking story that this president is not simply a polarizing figure, but a radicalizing one," said Heidi Beirich, director of the SPLC's Intelligence Project, which released the new numbers.

White House has rejected charges of bias

"Rather than trying to tamp down hate, as presidents of both parties have done, President Trump elevates it with both his rhetoric and his policies."

The SPLC defines hate groups as organizations with beliefs or practices that demonize a class of people.
The White House has repeatedly rejected charges of bias levelled at Trump, often citing the effects that a strong economy have had on minority communities. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, the founder of the Proud Boys, a self-described men-only club of 'Western chauvinists,' sued the centre for defamation over the hate-group label. (Marcio Jose Sanchez/The Associated Press)
The non-profit said the growth of hate groups appeared to be prompting some who share their ideologies to take violent action. As an example, it cited Robert Bowers, who is accused of killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in October while shouting, "All Jews must die."

The report also found the number of black nationalist groups rose 13 per cent to 264 in 2018, an increase the SPLC attributed to a backlash against Trump's policies.

Some of the SPLC's targets have criticized the Montgomery, Ala.-based organization's findings, saying it has mislabelled legitimate organizations.

Earlier this month, the founder of the Proud Boys, a self-described men-only club of "Western chauvinists," sued the centre for defamation over the hate group label. He contended the Proud Boys oppose racism, while the SPLC said it stood by its research. 

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