Bill Summary
This resolution acknowledges the widespread discrimination and violence faced by Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It highlights specific instances of hate crimes and government overreach, including profiling, surveillance, and unjust detentions targeting these communities. The resolution condemns racism, xenophobia, and discrimination while recognizing the negative impact of these government policies on civil liberties.
It calls for the establishment of an independent commission to review and recommend the dismantling of discriminatory policies, as well as congressional hearings to further explore these issues. Additionally, it supports the allocation of resources to community organizations to aid victims of hate crimes and violence, promote mental health support, and create alternatives to law enforcement. Lastly, it urges research into the effects of hate and government actions on the health and well-being of affected communities.
Possible Impacts
The legislation described in the resolution can affect people in various ways, particularly those from Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities. Here are three examples of how it might impact individuals and communities:
1. **Protection Against Discrimination and Hate Crimes**: The resolution condemns racism, xenophobia, and discrimination while calling for hate crime prevention and support for victims of hate and state violence. This acknowledgment of systemic issues may lead to enhanced protections and resources for individuals who have been targeted based on their faith, race, or national origin. For affected individuals, this could mean better access to support services, legal recourse, and community resources aimed at healing and empowerment.
2. **Policy Reform and Accountability**: By advocating for an independent commission to review government policies that have targeted specific communities, the resolution opens the door for accountability and reform. This could lead to the dismantling of discriminatory practices such as profiling and over-policing, resulting in a more equitable treatment of individuals within these communities. For example, individuals who have faced wrongful detention or surveillance may gain legal support and have a platform to share their experiences, potentially leading to changes that protect their civil liberties.
3. **Funding for Community-Based Support**: The resolution calls for allocating resources to community organizations that focus on the experiences and needs of the affected communities. This support may lead to the establishment of programs that provide mental health services, crisis response, and transformative justice alternatives that are culturally sensitive. For individuals within these communities, access to these resources can enhance their well-being, improve community cohesion, and foster resilience against the backdrop of ongoing discrimination and violence.
Overall, the resolution aims to create a more supportive environment for marginalized communities, addressing historical injustices and promoting a future of greater equity and understanding.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 741 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 741
Acknowledging that in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, individuals
experienced hate and were targeted by the government on account of
their faith, race, national origin and immigration status, and
suggesting various forms of relief to support those affected.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 18, 2025
Ms. Jayapal (for herself, Mr. Carson, Ms. Chu, Ms. Omar, Ms. Tlaib, Mr.
Costa, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, and Ms. Simon) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and
in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Science,
Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Acknowledging that in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, individuals
experienced hate and were targeted by the government on account of
their faith, race, national origin and immigration status, and
suggesting various forms of relief to support those affected.
Whereas, on September 11, 2001, the Nation experienced the deadliest attacks
ever perpetrated on American soil;
Whereas nearly 3,000 people perished in the September 11, 2001, attacks;
Whereas over 4,500 people have died from 9/11 related illnesses, and many still
suffer long-term, bodily trauma from inhaling toxic dust and rubble;
Whereas the United States experienced immeasurable fear, sorrow, outrage, and
loss;
Whereas Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh, was murdered in Mesa, Arizona, on September
15, 2001;
Whereas Waqar Hasan in Dallas, Texas, and Adel Karas in San Gabriel, California,
were killed on September 15, 2001;
Whereas, in the first month after the attack, community organizations documented
945 incidents of bias and hate in the workplace, houses of worship,
schools, homes, and in public life against Americans perceived to be of
Middle Eastern or South Asian descent;
Whereas hundreds of police, fire fighters, and first responders lost their lives
in the rescue effort, including members from the Arab, Muslim, Middle
Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities;
Whereas Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities have
long experienced discrimination and violence in the United States, which
intensified after the attacks;
Whereas there was a climate of hate in which Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South
Asian, and Sikh communities experienced bullying and violence in their
everyday lives and in their workplaces, businesses, community centers,
and houses of worship;
Whereas the government targeted Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and
Sikh communities with overreaching policing, surveillance, and
criminalization policies that resulted in wrongful interrogation,
coercion, detention, deportation, arrest, and incarceration;
Whereas core principles like due process, presumption of innocence, and evidence
of wrongdoing were replaced with mob mentality and guilt by association;
Whereas the fearmongering and hateful rhetoric witnessed in the aftermath of the
attacks remain commonplace today;
Whereas border officials and government authorities cast aside constitutional
rights and engaged in discriminatory searches and seizures of Arab,
Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh community members;
Whereas false narratives about Arabs, Islam, and American Muslims abound, and
are encouraged and justified by a network of closely connected and well-
funded organizations and activists that seek to propagate misinformation
about these communities and provide support for policies that curtail
their rights;
Whereas the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, as well as human
rights violations ranging from torture at Guantanamo Bay to
extrajudicial drone strikes, also contributed to this climate of hate
and the government targeting of these communities;
Whereas Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities have
experienced humiliation, stigma, deprivation of due process, and loss of
liberty because of government targeting, which reinforced the climate of
hate;
Whereas the climate of hate and government targeting impacted the ability of
these communities to exercise their constitutionally protected rights
including to organize, speak, travel, and worship freely;
Whereas the 2002 National Security Entry-Exit Registration System required men
and boys as young as 16 years of age with temporary visas from 25
predominantly Muslim countries to register at local immigration offices
for fingerprinting, photographs, and invasive interviews;
Whereas, by July 2003, the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System
slated 13,000 out of 83,000 registered men and boys for deportation,
decimating entire communities and resulting in zero terror-related
convictions;
Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Immigration and
Naturalization Service questioned thousands of Muslims who they believed
might have information about or connections to criminal activity based
on improper criteria such as an officer hunch or an anonymous tip from
people wrongfully suspicious of their Muslim neighbors;
Whereas, immediately after the September 11 attacks, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation and immigration authorities arrested and detained as many
as 1,200 Muslims, and none of these ``special interest'' detained people
were ultimately indicted for terrorist activity;
Whereas, to this day, Joint Terrorism Task Forces Preemptive Prosecutions,
Countering Violent Extremism Programs, Suspicious Activity Reporting,
Watchlists, Fusion Centers, Counterterrorism Databases, the permissive
Department of Justice Racial Profiling Guidance, and other policies
continue to profile and unfairly target Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern,
South Asian, Sikh, Black, and African communities;
Whereas, to this day, restrictions prevent immigrants and refugees from entering
the United States due to the current travel ban targeting 19 countries,
and immigrant communities are being torn apart due to attacks on
birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment, increased immigration
enforcement and detentions, terminations of Temporary Protected Status
designations, barriers to family reunification, and other immigration
policies that aim to surveil, arrest, detain, deport, and silence
members of Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Sikh, Black, and
African communities;
Whereas the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East has caused a
significant rise in discrimination and violence against the same Arab,
Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities who
experienced a rise in discrimination and violence in the aftermath of
September 11;
Whereas many politicians and influential members of the general public continue
to explicitly endorse, espouse, and act upon this hateful rhetoric and
use it for their own political benefit, including Members of Congress
and State and local elected officials; and
Whereas Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities have met
these challenges with unwavering courage, strength, compassion, and
resilience, and united in the aftermath of 9/11 to advocate for civil
and human rights, work which continues to this day to benefit all
Americans: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns all manifestations and expressions of racism,
xenophobia, discrimination, scapegoating, and ethnic or
religious bigotry;
(2) acknowledges the climate of hate that Arab, Muslim,
Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities have
experienced since September 11, 2001;
(3) acknowledges that the government implemented policies
that profiled and unfairly targeted Arab, Muslim, Middle
Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities after September 11,
2001;
(4) calls for the creation of an independent commission to
work with community-based organizations to review these
government policies, investigate and document their impact, and
provide recommendations to dismantle those policies which
continue to profile and unfairly target these communities;
(5) calls for hearings by congressional and civil rights
bodies to explore the findings and recommendations of this
independent commission in consultation with and centering
community-based organizations;
(6) supports allocating resources to community-based
organizations outside and independent of law enforcement that
center the experiences and demands of Arab, Muslim, Middle
Eastern, South Asian, and Sikh communities to--
(A) support hate crime prevention and the needs of
victims of hate and State violence, including language
support, mental health, comprehensive support, system
navigation, and crisis response and recovery; and
(B) create alternatives to law enforcement and
transformative justice programs that are culturally and
linguistically accessible and focus on vulnerable
populations within these communities, including but not
limited to working class people, undocumented and
immigrant communities, women, nonbinary, and LGBTQ
communities; and
(7) calls on the National Institutes of Health and the
National Science Foundation to work together to study the
impact of hate, government targeting, political rhetoric, and
profiling on physical and mental health.
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