Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) is demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) look into what she describes as a pattern of Black Americans being found hanging from trees across the country.
Last week, Rep. Crockett issued a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon asking them to investigate whether certain recent deaths that were ruled as isolated events or suicides were not part of a broader pattern of racially-motivated hate crimes.
“The DOJ not only has the authority to prosecute possible cases of modern-day lynchings but has a unique ability to garner valuable data on the prevalence, circumstances and potential patterns surrounding these deaths…” Rep. Crockett wrote.
Rep. Crockett also raises concerns that law enforcement may be implicated in some cases. Her letter cites one report that found 23 potential modern-day lynching cases in Mississippi involving officers who are currently undergoing investigation for alleged racist conduct.
“America spent generations allowing Black people to be lynched while institutions with the power to intervene stood by and did nothing,” Rep. Crockett said. “We cannot repeat that history.”
Given this “horrific” history of “racial terror,” Rep. Crockett said each case must be evaluated by the DOJ with that in mind.
“Every one of these cases deserves to be taken seriously, investigated thoroughly and examined in the context of what is happening across the country,” she said.
In the letter, Rep. Crockett notes that these cases are most prevalent in southern states like Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama. In Mississippi, for example, nearly 6,000 violent crime offenses were committed against Black people in 2025, but none were ruled as a hate crime, she said.
“The images we are seeing of Black bodies hanging from trees and other structures across this country should shock the conscience of every American,” Rep. Crockett said.
Rep. Crockett said it will also help build a database on racially motivated deaths to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
“We cannot simply look the other way when Black Americans are found dead under circumstances that demand answers,” she said.
