Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Delivers Remarks at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York
United States
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
Good morning.
In just a few minutes, U.S. Attorney Williams and I will meet with some of our New York law enforcement partners. I am grateful to each of them for being here. And I look forward to our discussion.
While these kinds of meetings between the Justice Department and our law enforcement partners are always important, the current global threat environment makes this one particularly urgent.
Over the past several days, over 40 hostages who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th have been released. Among them is Avigail Idan, a 4-year-old American.
We welcome Avigail’s return and hope to see the return of more hostages in the days to come.
The Justice Department’s victim services programs – including our Office for Victims of Crime and the FBI’s Victim Services Division – stand ready to provide assistance to released American hostages and their families.
We also remain committed to working with our partners across the U.S. government to secure the return of all missing Americans, including those still being held hostage.
As always, but especially right now, the Justice Department is remaining vigilant in the face of the potential threats of hate-fueled violence and terrorism.
We are closely monitoring the impact that the conflict in the Middle East may have in inspiring foreign terrorist organizations, homegrown violent extremists, and domestic violent extremists both here in the United States and abroad.
All of us have also seen a sharp increase in the volume and frequency of threats against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities across our country since October 7th.
There is understandable fear in communities across the country. Even as we speak, the ATF and FBI are investigating the tragic shooting of three men of Palestinian descent in Vermont. That investigation, including whether this is a hate crime, is ongoing. Investigative updates by ATF and FBI in Vermont will be coming soon. The Justice Department is poised to provide any assistance that our state and local law enforcement partners need as we work together to protect our communities.
Last month, I directed the FBI and each of our U.S. Attorneys to meet with law enforcement and community leaders to discuss what they are seeing on the ground and how we can best support them with regard to these threats.
Senior leadership at the Justice Department and I have done the same. In my conversations with law enforcement, community, and religious leaders, I have reiterated that the Justice Department has no higher priority than protecting the safety and civil rights of everyone in our country.
Protecting all people and all communities from hate-fueled violence was the Justice Department’s founding purpose in 1870, and it remains our urgent responsibility today.
No person and no community in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence. Fulfilling that promise motivates us every single day.
While we are confronting this elevated global threat environment, we also know that we cannot lose sight of other pressing challenges.
That includes working closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to combat violent crime. And it includes working together to disrupt the flow of fentanyl, the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced.
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