Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) led a group of 105 members of Congress in urging FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate the October 11 attempted shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora, Illinois, as a potential federal hate crime, according to a statement from his office.
The signers include the entire Illinois House Democratic delegation, every Indian American member of Congress, and Sens. Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, Andy Kim and Chris Van Hollen, the statement said.
In their letter, the lawmakers sought information about the FBI’s investigation into the incident at the Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) temple and its efforts to address credible online threats against Indian Americans, Hindu Americans, Sikhs and other South Asian communities. Krishnamoorthi and his family were worshipping at the temple when the attempted attack occurred, according to his office.
The statement cited prosecutors as alleging that Alexandros Paporakis, 19, a self-identified neo-Nazi, tried to shoot a man outside the temple, but his rifle jammed. He allegedly fled and later communicated plans to return. A coworker alerted police, who arrested him that day.
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Prosecutors also allege that Paporakis wrote an eight-page white supremacist manifesto describing violence against people of Indian descent at a Hindu house of worship. Investigators recovered a rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, body armor and white supremacist imagery, according to the statement.
“The alleged combination of targeted racial hatred, a religious setting, and preparations for mass violence demands a comprehensive federal response. We appreciate the FBI’s reported assistance to local investigators and urge the Bureau to ensure that potential hate-crime violations receive explicit attention,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter asked whether the FBI is examining potential racial, ethnic and religious bias in the case and coordinating with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the appropriate U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Lawmakers also asked whether investigators are examining the suspect’s use of online platforms to communicate threats, identify targets, obtain assistance or coordinate with others, and whether anyone encouraged or materially assisted the alleged plot.
The statement linked the lawmakers’ concerns to reports of online hostility toward South Asians. It cited a September 2026 report that identified more than 542,000 anti-South Asian hateful posts on X between January 2025 and June 2026. According to the statement, the report found that the monthly volume increased approximately 240 percent between January 2024 and June 2026.
The statement also cited a Carnegie Endowment survey in which 48 percent of Indian American respondents reported encountering racist posts targeting their community very or somewhat often since the beginning of 2025. One in four reported being called a slur.
The lawmakers criticized examples of Trump administration messaging that they said risked reinforcing racial and religious stereotypes. They cited a Department of Homeland Security post depicting a Sikh man alongside the message, “Get off our roads, you don’t know how to drive Mr. Singh.”
They also pointed to a Department of Education post stating “Make College Football Great Again” following a Texas Republican’s complaint about South Asians attending a University of Texas football game, according to the statement.
“We believe such messaging risks lending governmental legitimacy to racial and religious stereotyping. Federal agencies should make clear that debates over immigration or public safety never justify collective suspicion of Indian, Sikh, Hindu, or other South Asian communities,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter sought details about how the FBI distinguishes constitutionally protected expression, including offensive speech, from credible threats and conduct warranting investigation. It also requested information about how the bureau shares actionable threat information with local authorities and potentially targeted houses of worship.
Additional questions addressed outreach and protective resources for affected communities, as well as whether the FBI has sufficient personnel, language expertise and analytical capacity to assess threats involving anti-Indian, anti-Hindu and broader anti-South Asian bias.
The lawmakers requested a written response by October 29, 2026, to the extent that disclosure would be consistent with the ongoing investigation.
“No one should fear being targeted because of their ancestry, appearance, or faith, and no congregation should have to wonder whether gathering for worship will make its members targets of mass violence. We urge the FBI to investigate the evidence fully, pursue all applicable offenses, and provide affected communities with a clear account of the steps being taken to protect them,” the lawmakers concluded.
The 105 signers are: Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Rep. Ami Bera, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, Rep. Shri Thanedar, Rep. Ro Khanna, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Rep. Jonathan L. Jackson, Rep. Bradley Scott Schneider, Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, Rep. Mike Quigley, Rep. Robin L. Kelly, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Bill Foster, Rep. Lauren Underwood, Rep. Eric Sorensen, Rep. Sean Casten, Rep. Danny K. Davis, Rep. Jesús G. “Chuy” García, Rep. Grace Meng, Rep. Judy Chu, Rep. Dave Min, Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, Rep. Derek T. Tran, Rep. André Carson, Rep. Norma J. Torres, Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. James R. Walkinshaw, Rep. Kevin Mullin, Rep. Sarah Elfreth, Rep. Juan Vargas, Rep. Marc A. Veasey, Rep. Shontel M. Brown, Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr., Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost, Rep. Sylvia R. Garcia, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., Rep. Yassamin Ansari, Rep. Greg Stanton, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Dina Titus, Rep. Brad Sherman, Rep. Greg Casar, Rep. Lucy McBath, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II, Rep. Darren Soto, Rep. Robert J. Menendez, Rep. Lateefah Simon, Rep. Veronica Escobar, Rep. Thomas R. Suozzi, Rep. Seth Magaziner, Rep. Yvette D. Clarke, Rep. John W. Mannion, Rep. Al Green, Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., Rep. Lois Frankel, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, Rep. Deborah K. Ross, Rep. Hillary J. Scholten, Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, Rep. April McClain Delaney, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Steven Horsford, Rep. Wesley Bell, Rep. Analilia Mejia, Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Rep. Becca Balint, Rep. Diana DeGette, Rep. Scott H. Peters, Rep. Rick Larsen, Rep. Ted W. Lieu, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán, Rep. Andrea Salinas, Rep. Adam Smith, Rep. Dan Goldman, Sen. Andy Kim, Rep. Sam T. Liccardo, Rep. Gabe Amo, Rep. Haley M. Stevens, Rep. Madeleine Dean, Rep. Kim Schrier, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Paul D. Tonko, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rep. James P. McGovern, Rep. Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr., Rep. Timothy M. Kennedy, Rep. Valerie P. Foushee, Rep. Doris Matsui, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Mike Thompson, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Suzan K. DelBene, Rep. Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr., Rep. Lori Trahan, and Rep. Brendan F. Boyle.
