The FBI announced Friday that it is broadening its investigation into a disturbing wave of anonymous racist and threatening text messages that initially targeted Black communities following the recent presidential election. The investigation has now expanded to encompass reports of similarly offensive messages sent to Hispanic and LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as high school students, federal authorities confirmed.
"Some recipients reported being told they were selected for deportation or to report to a re-education camp," the FBI stated in its latest update. While the content and language of the messages vary, many include offensive references to slavery and other discriminatory threats. Messages sent to Black recipients, for example, contained phrases about being "selected to pick cotton on a plantation." The agency added that it is working closely with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and local authorities to assess and respond to these reports.
Although no instances of violence stemming from the messages have been reported thus far, the FBI underscored the seriousness of the situation, emphasizing its commitment to evaluating all incidents and maintaining engagement with civil rights authorities. "We are evaluating all reported incidents and engaging with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division," the agency stated.
Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), condemned the messages as "a public spectacle of hatred and racism that makes a mockery of our civil rights history." NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson echoed similar sentiments, attributing the surge in hate speech and threats to rhetoric promoted during President-elect Trump's campaign, which he said "emboldened hate speech."
The messages first surfaced immediately after the election and were primarily reported by Black students attending universities from California to South Carolina. Many of the texts were sent through services such as TextNow, which allows users to create untraceable "burner" phone numbers. The company confirmed last week that it had disabled accounts involved in distributing the messages and is actively working to prevent new attempts. "TextNow has stopped attempts to send other variations of these harassing messages," the company said in a statement.
The FBI's investigation revealed that the offensive messages are now being sent to members of Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. Juan Proaño, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), expressed deep concern over the situation. "We started because of this racism," he said, referencing LULAC's founding purpose. "It's sad to find us back to where we were in some cases."
The FBI has been sharing information on the expanding threats with educational institutions and faith leaders, urging recipients of these messages to report them to authorities. In one particularly troubling instance, Atlanta-based publicist Monèt Miller described receiving a message that read: "Our Executive Slaves will come get you in a Brown Van" and "Be prepared to be searched down once you've entered the plantation." Miller was still processing the election results when the message arrived on November 6, she said.
NAACP's Derrick Johnson emphasized that the texts reflect an "alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country." Proaño reaffirmed LULAC's solidarity with the NAACP, stating, "We stand strong with the NAACP to speak out against these racist acts."
While the messages vary in content, they consistently carry themes of racism and intimidation, the FBI noted. The agency remains committed to addressing this threat, partnering with civil rights organizations, local law enforcement, and community leaders to ensure public safety and accountability.
