Press Releases

Miami, Fla. – Yesterday, in the wake of a hate-fueled mass shooting in Buffalo and other incidents across the country, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24) voted for legislation to combat domestic terrorism and better protect our South Florida communities.  The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act will expand federal resources to combat violent extremism – particularly white supremacy – and better equip local law enforcement to address these deadly threats.

“When I heard the news from Buffalo, my heart was broken for the families who will never get the chance to see or say goodbye to their grandmothers, fathers, children, or siblings. For those families, and for the thousands of other survivors of these attacks, these are acts of terror that strike deep into the heart of the communities they target,” said Congresswoman Wilson.  “It’s time to start calling this what it is – domestic terrorism – and it’s time to act. The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act gives our law enforcement agencies every tool to fight back and protect Floridians and residents everywhere.”

In the past several years, Florida has been home to some of the most horrific incidents of domestic terrorism. These violent acts have sought to target the LGBTQ community during the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, resulting in 49 deaths and students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, claiming the lives of 17 children and school staff.

These acts have also struck targeted communities around the country: historically Black colleges and universities were terrorized by a wave of bomb threats at the start of Black History Month; Asian Americans have been the victims of unconscionable violence tied to misinformation about COVID-19; 23 people were killed in El Paso in the largest terrorist attack targeting Hispanics in modern U.S. history; and the sanctity of Houses of Worship—including the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, and the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek—have been pierced by violence.  Just this past weekend, in two more hate-motivated incidents, 10 people were killed in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo and another was killed in a shooting at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods, California.

These attacks have ripped through communities, stealing innocent lives, traumatizing survivors and inflicting immense pain on those left behind.  The Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act takes key steps to prevent these crimes and save the lives of Floridians and Americans everywhere:

• Expanding federal law enforcement agencies’ capacity to monitor, investigate and prosecute cases of domestic terror.
• Bolstering information sharing and Congressional oversight to ensure a more coordinated federal response.
• Rooting out white supremacists in the military and law enforcement.
• Providing training and other resources to empower state, local, and tribal law enforcement to detect and prevent domestic terrorism.

This legislation is supported by a wide range of advocacy organizations, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Anti-Defamation League, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the Center for Disability Rights, the Human Rights Campaign, Muslim Advocates, the NAACP, the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund and UnidosUS.