Letter to Hon. Merrick Garland, Attorney General - Bicameral Education Committee Leaders Request DOJ Update on Recent HBCU Bomb Threats

Letter

Dear Attorney General Garland:

We write to you today at the beginning of Black History Month about the disturbing trend of bomb
threats and violence against our nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). For the
last month, at least 17 of the nation's 100 HBCUs have been forced to repeatedly lock down their
campuses and shelter in place until law enforcement can investigate and assure the safety of students, staff, and the surrounding local communities. Such acts of intimidation, which threaten both the safety and education of students enrolled at HBCUs, are of grave concern and we must work to protect these remarkable institutions and their students.

We ask that you provide a briefing to interested congressional offices to discuss the efforts the Department of Justice is taking to coordinate federal and local law enforcement efforts in the
investigation of these ongoing threats as well as the direct support you are providing to all our nation's HBCUs to keep their campuses and communities open and safe. Please provide a response no later than Thursday, February 3.

Sincerely,