100 signatures reached
To: Department of Justice, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche
Drop lawsuit against SPLC and stop politically motivated attacks
The Trump administration is ramping up its attacks on civil rights groups—now indicting the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a racial justice organization based in the South that has been working for more than 50 years to build a society where Black and Brown communities can thrive.
Trump has weaponized the Department of Justice (DOJ) to indict SPLC on bogus charges related to their now defunct “informant program,” which was used to gather critical intelligence on extremist groups.
This indictment is a blatant attack on our rights and the organizations and leaders who work to protect everyday people from hate and discrimination. We're calling this what it is: retaliation. Demand the DOJ drop these charges against the SPLC and stop their politically motivated attacks on organizations and leaders.
Why is this important?
The Southern Poverty Law Center has existed for more than 50 years, founded as a legal advocacy organization in Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement. They have been organizing against the Klan and white supremacist groups and working to advance the liberation of Black and Brown people ever since.
Their work has literally saved lives.
But the SPLC came under fire by right-wing conservatives and the Trump administration after Charlie Kirk’s assassination due to their criticism of his organization, Turning Point USA, and its inclusion in their report “The Year in Hate and Extremism 2024.” The report detailed the organization's role in electing Trump and far-right candidates, informing Project 2025, and culturally shaping the authoritarian landscape that currently exists.
Shortly after, in response to far-right backlash, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced it was ending its relationship with the SPLC, which previously worked with the government on hate crimes and domestic extremism research and reporting.
Civil rights groups like the SPLC are at the forefront of ensuring that everyone in our country can live, love, vote, and exist free from discrimination. The people involved in these organizations train poll workers, run mutual aid networks, call out discrimination, and defend our right to protest. The Trump administration is trying to silence and erase voices doing this critical work because they are a threat to their authoritarian agenda.
SPLC used their platform to expose hate—and we will do the same. Add your name to the petition to show solidarity with the SPLC and make it clear that Americans will not stand by quietly as the Trump administration silences free speech, punishes civil rights groups, and tries to intimidate everyday people from exercising their fundamental rights.