FBI expands investigation of post-election hate messages to include Latino and LGBTQ+ communities

Offensive messages continue to target minority communities post-election

After a wave of offensive and racist text messages targeted Black Americans and other marginalized groups following the election, the FBI is broadening its investigation to include messages being sent to Latino, LGBTQ+, and high school student recipients.

The original messages said inflammatory things about sending Black Americans to plantations to “pick cotton,” a reference to America’s history of enslaving Black people. But newer reports indicate that some messages are assigning individuals for “deportation” or instructing them to report to “re-education camps.” Additionally, some of these messages are now being delivered via email in addition to text.

It’s unclear who is sending these messages, or if the offensive messages are connected to one another, but they heighten concerns about hate groups following President-elect Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House.

READ MORE: After Trump’s re-election, racist texts target Black people in North Carolina and other states

“Although we have not received reports of violent acts stemming from these offensive messages, we are evaluating all reported incidents and engaging with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division,” FBI officials said in a statement. “We are also sharing information with our law enforcement partners and community, academia, and faith leaders.”

Though the messages seem to show support for the Trump administration, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, denied any involvement, telling The New York Times that the “campaign has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.”

In North Carolina, the state Department of Justice said it has received 14 complaints about the messages, although it is likely a small number of people who’ve actually received them. They encourage people who have received the messages to report them to the office by calling 1-877-5-NO-SCAM, using their online portal, and/or contacting their local law enforcement.

The FBI also urges individuals who have received these messages to report them at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.