Full Breakdown
Justice Department’s Antisemitism Task Force Embarks on 15-City Tour
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Nationwide Tour Targets Antisemitism in 15 Cities
The Justice Department’s Antisemitism Task Force, chaired by Leo Terrell, launched the “American Tour Against Hate” in October, traveling to 15 U.S. cities that the task force says have seen inadequate local responses to antisemitic threats. Each stop includes a public two-hour event followed by visits to synagogues, Jewish schools and community centers. Representatives from the FBI and Labor Department accompany federal officials to connect local Jewish communities with federal resources.
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Background: Surge in Hate-Crime Reports
Recent FBI statistics show antisemitic violence reaching its highest level since 1994. Law-enforcement agencies recorded 1,528 single-bias anti-Jewish hate-crime incidents in 2025, accounting for 62.4 % of all religious-bias hate crimes. Officials cite schools, workplaces and houses of worship as primary sites of concern, prompting the federal outreach effort.
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Federal Emphasis on Enforcement and Campus Safety
Terrell stressed that the tour is designed to address “where the problem is at” by bringing federal support directly to affected communities. He warned university presidents that federal scrutiny will continue if Jewish students remain unprotected, and he suggested court orders as a tool to compel compliance. The task force also engaged more than 200 Christian students at a summit in Lynchburg, Virginia, framing antisemitism as a broader American issue rather than a solely Jewish concern.
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Data on Antisemitic Incidents
- 1,528 single-bias anti-Jewish hate-crime incidents reported in 2025.
- 62.4 % of all religious-bias hate crimes targeted Jews.
- The tour visits cities such as Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, New York and Detroit, which officials say have struggled to prosecute hate crimes.
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Verbatim Quotes
- “The whole purpose of this tour is to go to where the problem is at, to address their needs, and to provide them with federal support,” — Leo Terrell, task force chairman
- “We had the FBI at the first tour meeting because some of these cities have failed to prosecute hate crimes,” — Leo Terrell, task force chairman
- “My philosophy is quite simple.” — Leo Terrell, task force chairman