FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
22 November 2025
Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov
Reps. Barragán and Kamlager-Dove Lead Letter to Call Out DOJ’s Quiet Removal of Study on Violent Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last month, U.S. Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) led a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi to express their strong concern over the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) removal of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) study “What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism” from the DOJ website.
The letter urged the DOJ to provide an explanation for the removal of the study, disclose whether there was White House involvement, and clarify the Executive Orders used as the basis for DOJ’s review of websites and research materials.
The NIJ study concluded that violent acts committed by far-right extremists have outpaced those committed by far-left extremists or other groups. Yet, despite these findings, the Administration has publicly advanced false claims that “the Radical Left” is the primary driver of political violence.
“The quiet removal of this critical study is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to rewrite history,” said Rep. Barragán. “To erase the dangers of right-wing extremism not only undermines public trust in both the DOJ and our government, it is also a threat to our national security. The suppression and misrepresentation of critical reports like this allow Trump to push harmful narratives and permits domestic terrorism against American communities because of their beliefs and ideals. That is un-American. The DOJ must republish the report.”
“Domestic terrorism and political violence must be forcefully condemned and confronted, regardless of who commits it,” said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “Yet, by quietly removing this report, the Trump Administration is attempting to hide the prevalence of far-right violent extremism to reinforce its dangerous, false narrative that left-wing extremism alone is one of the gravest problems facing our country. This is more than an attempt to score cheap political points; it serves a pretext for Trump to target political opponents, and it jeopardizes our national security by sweeping extremist violence under the rug. The report must be republished.”
Since the 1960s, NIJ research and data collection have been an essential tool for policymakers, law enforcement, and communities in understanding extremist violence. The study reviewed data from 1990 to 2020 and found far-right extremists responsible for the vast majority of ideologically motivated killings. These findings are consistent with independent research that found right-wing extremists responsible for more than twice the number of politically motivated deaths, compared to left-wing extremists, since 2020.
The removal of the NIJ study, paired with misleading public claims, raises serious questions about whether DOJ is suppressing research in favor of partisan narratives. This comes as President Trump’s memorandum on domestic terrorism pledges to focus federal resources on “left-wing terrorism,” while dismissing experts who present contrary evidence.
The letter was also signed by Representatives Becca Balint (D-VT); Donald Beyer (D-VA); Jasmine Crockett (D-TX); Henry ‘Hank’ Johnson (D-GA); Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA); Summer Lee (D-PA); Mark Takano (D-CA); and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ).
To view the full letter, click HERE.
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