The American Bar Association Civil Rights and Social Justice Section is presenting a free webinar entitled Mass Violence Motivated By Hate: Are New Domestic Terrorism Laws the Answer? on November 20, 2019 from 2:30 PM-4:00 PM Eastern.

In the aftermath of a mass shooting targeting “Mexicans” in El Paso, political leaders have introduced new domestic terrorism laws at state and federal levels. In New York, for instance, Gov. Cuomo introduced the Hate Crimes Domestic Terrorism Act treating mass violence motivated by hate as terrorist crimes. Additionally, Sen. McSally and Rep. Schiff recently spearheaded similar initiatives in Congress. Under the proposed laws, attacks like the one in El Paso, the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and the Emanuel African Episcopal Church in Charleston can be prosecuted as terrorism.

Previously, federal law defined domestic terrorism, but failed to include corresponding criminal penalties. According to federal law enforcement, this gap prevented them from pursuing domestic terrorism charges. Instead, they charge suspects with murder, assault, unlawfully possessing firearms and/or under a federal hate crimes statute when there is evidence of the requisite bias motive. Many Americans applaud the newly proposed laws, arguing that we should draw no distinction between mass violence perpetrated by white supremacists versus that of foreign actors. 

Yet, civil libertarians are sounding the alarm, warning that law enforcement - who have prioritized ‘Black Identity Extremists’ as terrorist threats over white nationalists and al-Qaeda - may later misuse these laws to silence non-violent dissent. Do these laws put Black Lives Matter supporters, anti-war protestors and/or animal rights activists at risk? Do they presently incorporate sufficient safeguards against such misuse and abuse? 

Moderator: Engy Abdelkader, Chair, ABA CRSJ Rights of Immigrants Committee

Speakers:

• Michael German, Fellow, Liberty & National Security Program, Brennan Center for Justice
• Hina Shamsi, Director, National Security Project, ACLUce, NYU School of Law
• David Schanzer, Professor, Duke Sanford School of Public Policy University; Director, Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security