Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC is warning that the FBI’s 2025 Hate Crime Statistics report likely captures only a portion of the bias incidents, harassment, intimidation and violence experienced by Asian American communities across the country.

The organization said hate crime data has long faced significant underreporting by victims and law enforcement agencies. It added that the risk of underreporting is heightened by anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies that reinforce anti-Asian, anti-South Asian, anti-Muslim and anti-Sikh narratives.

The FBI reported 10,606 hate crime incidents in 2025, down 7% from 11,404 incidents in 2024. Anti-Asian hate crime incidents also declined compared with 2024 but remained substantially above pre-pandemic levels, according to AAJC.

Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Remain Elevated

According to the FBI data cited by AAJC, law enforcement agencies reported 339 anti-Asian hate crime single-bias incidents in 2025, a 10.6% decrease from 379 incidents in 2024.

Despite the decline, AAJC noted that the 2025 figure remains more than 2.5 times higher than the annual average of 133 incidents reported between 2013 and 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

AAJC emphasized that FBI statistics reflect only incidents reported to and recognized by law enforcement agencies. The organization said community-based reporting and research indicate that many victims do not report incidents because of fear, language barriers, concerns about retaliation, immigration-related anxieties and distrust of government institutions.

"The real risk is not simply that hate goes unaddressed, but that it becomes invisible," said Sim J. Singh Attariwala, Director of the Anti-Hate Program at Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC.

Attariwala said cuts to hate crime prevention initiatives and grants along with weakened civil rights enforcement can reduce resources for state and local agencies and community organizations. He also said these factors can make victims less likely to report incidents and leave policymakers with less visibility into threats facing communities.

Religious Bias Remains a Concern

AAJC also highlighted changes in hate crime incidents affecting religious communities.

Anti-Sikh hate crime incidents increased 24.6% from 142 in 2024 to 177 in 2025. Anti-Muslim incidents decreased 10.1% from 228 to 205.

Anti-Hindu hate crime incidents increased 12% from 25 in 2024 to 28 while anti-Buddhist incidents increased 7.7% from 26 to 28.

The organization said it is monitoring trends affecting Sikh, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist communities that face discrimination shaped by overlapping racial, religious, ethnic and anti-immigrant bias.

The FBI also recorded a 31% decrease in anti-Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander hate crime incidents, from 29 in 2024 to 20 in 2025.

AAJC Raises Concerns About Anti-South Asian Bias

AAJC identified the convergence of anti-immigrant, anti-South Asian, anti-Muslim, anti-Sikh and anti-Indian rhetoric as one of its most concerning trends in 2025.

The organization said these narratives portray immigrants and communities of color as threats to American identity while questioning the belonging and loyalty of Americans based on ancestry, religion or national origin.

AAJC pointed to attacks targeting South Asian public figures including Second Lady Usha Vance and Vivek Ramaswamy as examples of racist, xenophobic and religiously charged attacks. The organization also raised concerns about efforts to portray Sikh and Punjabi truck drivers as public safety threats.

According to AAJC, these developments demonstrate how anti-South Asian hate can intersect with racial, religious and anti-immigrant bias in ways that may not be fully reflected in official hate crime statistics.

Immigration Enforcement Creates Additional Risks

AAJC also reported a troubling increase in immigration enforcement impersonation schemes in 2025. According to the organization, individuals have exploited confusion surrounding masked and plainclothes immigration enforcement operations to impersonate law enforcement and target vulnerable community members.

AAJC called for an end to what it described as masked and unnecessarily confrontational ICE enforcement tactics. It also urged prosecutors to pursue hate crime charges when impersonators target victims based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion or immigration status.

The organization said these crimes can extend beyond individual victims by creating intimidation across entire communities.

Concerns Over Federal Hate Crime Prevention Efforts

AAJC also expressed concern about cuts to hate crime prevention grants, reductions in domestic terrorism prevention efforts, attacks on civil rights organizations and efforts to weaken federal civil rights enforcement.

The organization said these actions undermine the ability to prevent and respond to hate crimes while eroding trust among communities.

AAJC said that when communities become reluctant to engage with government institutions they may also become less likely to report hate crimes, threats, harassment and other public safety concerns. As a result, incidents may be less likely to be documented and reflected in official statistics.

Resources
Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC provides a range of resources to support Asian communities facing hate, harassment, and discrimination. From reporting incidents and accessing local support services to learning safety strategies and bystander intervention techniques, these tools are designed to help communities stay informed, connected, and empowered.

• Stand Against Hatred - www.standagainsthatred.org
  Report incidents of hate, harassment, or discrimination and help strengthen national efforts to track and respond to anti-Asian hate
• Asian Resource Hub - www.asianresourcehub.org
  Access a searchable directory of organizations providing legal, social, mental health, language, and victim support services for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
• Home Safety Tips – Home Safety Tips for Asian American Households | Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC
  Practical guidance and resources to help individuals and families enhance their personal safety at home and in their communities.
• Intervention Trainings from Right To Be - www.righttobe.org/our-training/
  Free practical bystander intervention and de-escalation techniques to safely respond to harassment and support offered by Advancing Justice | AAJC’s partner Right To Be.