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Jayapal backs resolution on hate and profiling after 9/11
The measure addresses post-9/11 profiling, hate crimes, and government targeting faced by minority groups.
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Pranavi Sharma - Fri, 19, Sep 2025
- 02:37 EDT
- 15
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Pramila Jayapal. / X @PramilaJayapal
U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal on Sept. 18 introduced a congressional resolution recognizing the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks while also acknowledging the discrimination faced by South Asian, Sikh, Arab, Muslim, and Middle Eastern communities in the years since.
The resolution, co-led by Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Judy Chu (D-CA) and André Carson (D-IN), calls attention to the rise in hate crimes, surveillance, and government targeting of these communities following the attacks.
The Sikh Coalition has announced its support for the measure.
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“On September 11th, 2001, we lost thousands of lives to the worst terrorist attack to ever happen on American soil. Nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the attack and more than 4,500 others have died since from related illnesses – this day irrevocably changed our country and its impact is still felt,” Jayapal said.
She added that the aftermath was also marked by violence against minority groups. “The murders of Balbir Singh Sodhi, Waqar Hassan, and Adel Karas in the days following the attack were shocking displays of hatred. Xenophobia and racism have no place in this country, and today we recognize the shared trauma that these communities faced as they experienced stigma, discrimination, and losses of liberty.”
Omar said the resolution was aimed at addressing injustices. “Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities have carried the double burden of mourning the horrific 9/11 attacks and subsequently being treated with suspicion and hostility in its aftermath,” she said. “They were spied on, harassed, and painted as threats by their own government, all while facing hate and violence in their daily lives.”
Tlaib emphasized that federal policies compounded the harm. “It’s long past time for our government to acknowledge the trauma it has and continues to inflict on our communities through the harmful policies, racial profiling, and unjust targeting of so many of our neighbors,” she said.
Chu noted that “twenty-four years later, these communities still face suspicion, violence, and government overreach that betray our nation’s core promises of justice and equality.” Carson added that Muslim Americans, including first responders, “experienced a rise in hate crimes and discrimination” after 9/11.
The resolution calls for an independent commission to investigate government policies, congressional hearings on findings, and resources for community-based organizations supporting victims of hate and profiling. It also recommends that federal research bodies study the impact of hate and discriminatory policies on health and well-being.
Sponsors say the resolution is urgent, pointing to ongoing hate crimes, the effects of recent Middle East conflicts, and immigration policies that continue to target Arab, Muslim, South Asian, and Sikh Americans.
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