ACLU Comment on COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act Being Signed into Law

May 20, 2021 3:00 pm

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WASHINGTON — President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which includes the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act, into law today. The bipartisan bill, which is endorsed by the American Civil Liberties Union, would enhance hate crime data collection and provide community-centered solutions to assist hate crime victims and their communities.

Manar Waheed, senior legislative and advocacy counsel for the ACLU, had the following reaction:

“At a moment when hate crimes — particularly against Asian Americans — are on the rise, Asian, Arab, and so many other impacted communities came together to pass legislation that will help us understand the scope of these attacks so that we may better protect communities. We applaud President Biden, Congress, and marginalized communities that have long fought for this victory, bringing us one step closer to addressing white supremacist violence in the United States.”

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