US Asian American lawmakers have accused the Trump administration of fuelling anti-South Asian hatred following the foiling of an alleged mass shooting plot targeting a Hindu temple in Illinois….reports Asian Lite News Desk
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) has blamed the Trump administration’s rhetoric and appointments for fuelling anti-South Asian hatred in the United States following the foiling of an alleged white supremacist plot to carry out a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois. The lawmakers warned that rising racist rhetoric and extremist ideology posed a serious threat to South Asian communities and places of worship.
The statement was signed by CAPAC Chair Grace Meng, First Vice Chair Mark Takano, Second Vice Chair Jill Tokuda, Whip Ami Bera, freshman Representative Suhas Subramanyam and Chair Emerita Judy Chu. Bera and Subramanyam are Indian American.
“We also cannot ignore the Trump administration’s role in peddling anti-South Asian hate,” the lawmakers said.
CAPAC accuses administration of fuelling anti-South Asian hate
The caucus cited several examples to support its criticism, including the appointment of “a man who said to ‘never trust a chinaman or Indian [sic],’” the posting of “white supremacist messaging on official government accounts” and the promotion of the Great Replacement Theory.
The lawmakers described the theory as “a dangerous far-right ideology that has been referenced by extremists to justify mass shootings and acts of racial terror.”
They also accused the administration of weakening efforts to tackle domestic terrorism by cutting FBI staff responsible for monitoring threats from white supremacists and militia groups.
“Anti-South Asian hate speech has surged by 240% on X alone over the past two years, driven in part by influential figures who amplify racist rhetoric, scapegoat immigrant communities, and allow bigotry and xenophobia to be pushed further into the mainstream,” the statement said.
The figure was drawn from a September 2026 report by the Center for the Study of Organized Hate, which was linked in the statement.
The caucus did not identify the appointee it referred to or specify the government accounts allegedly used to post white supremacist messaging.
Foiled Hindu temple attack sparks alarm
The lawmakers said they were horrified by the alleged plot to target Indian Americans at a Hindu temple in Aurora, where CAPAC member Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi and his family worship.
According to the statement, the suspect, described as a self-proclaimed Neo-Nazi, allegedly fantasised about murdering Indian people, wrote a South Asian slur on a gas canister and referred to Indian, Jewish and African American people as “subhumans”.
“This plot exposes the very real danger white supremacist ideology poses to our communities and houses of worship, and it cannot be viewed in isolation,” the lawmakers said.
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CAPAC thanked the suspect’s co-workers who alerted authorities and commended law enforcement for its response.
“We must never allow the cancers of anti-South Asian hate, religious bigotry, and white supremacy to take root in our country,” the statement added.
The FBI’s Chicago field office announced the arrest on Wednesday. Alexandros Paporakis, 19, of Palatine, was taken into custody after local law enforcement received information about a potential mass shooting, according to the FBI.
Democrats and Republicans condemn alleged plot
The incident drew condemnation from lawmakers across party lines, with several warning about the consequences of anti-Indian and anti-Hindu rhetoric.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X: “Anti-Indian and anti-Hindu rhetoric is at an alarming level in America, and now we are seeing that hatred turn into violence. Bigotry against any community has no place in America.”
Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth described the plot as “absolutely horrifying”, while Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey said the country must condemn anti-Indian hatred and violence and work to prevent further attacks.
Republican Representative Rich McCormick of Georgia, co-chair of the House India Caucus, said: “The plot to massacre innocent Americans at a Hindu temple is unequivocally wrong. Violence toward anyone based on a religion, political orientation, or race is evil.”
Illinois Republican Darin LaHood said the person behind the attempt “must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law”.
Representative Bill Foster, whose district includes Aurora, said everyone should be able to worship safely without fear of being targeted because of their faith or ethnicity.
Other lawmakers also expressed concern. Representative Ro Khanna said he was angered by the attempted attack, while Representative Pramila Jayapal warned that attacks on South Asians had been increasing online and among leaders in government.
Bera called for Congress to do more to combat hate-fuelled violence, and Representative Shri Thanedar urged lawmakers to address the rise in anti-Hindu attacks.
Representatives Jamie Raskin, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Deborah Ross also called for action against white supremacist violence and stronger protection for houses of worship.
Community leaders express solidarity
The City of Aurora reiterated its opposition to hate, saying in a post on X that its strength lay in its diversity and that residents deserved to live and worship without fear.
Representative Jonathan L. Jackson of Illinois also expressed support for Krishnamoorthi, his family and Hindu and Indian American families across the state.
Israel’s Consul General in Chicago, Elad Strohmayer, condemned the alleged plot and expressed solidarity with the Hindu community in Illinois.
The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) also voiced support for Hindu Americans.
“The targeting of a Hindu temple is not only an act of anti-Indian hatred, but also an attack on the fundamental promise of religious freedom in America,” said Kiran Kaur Gill, SALDEF’s executive director.
The FBI, the Justice Department, its Civil Rights Division and the White House had not posted statements about the plot on X as of Thursday, according to the report.
Lawmakers from both parties and India’s Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra had also condemned the alleged plot earlier.
