The Southern Poverty Law Center today (Tuesday, June 4) released its annual Year in Hate & Extremism Report, which documents 595 hate groups and 835 anti-government extremist groups, including a “growing wave of white nationalism increasingly motivated by theocratic beliefs and conspiracy theories,” noted a press release announcing the report.

That is a total of 1,430 hate and anti-government groups tracked nationwide last year, compared to a total of 599 such groups in 2020. The number of such groups tracked last year  stood at 1,225 — a group of more than 200 such groups in one year.

The report provides a “comprehensive analysis of the groups and organizational infrastructure upholding white supremacy in the United States,” according to the press release.

These groups have “intensified their efforts over the past year to recruit new members, increase their online presence and in-person demonstrations, exploit international and domestic conflicts, lobby the government and, in some cases, directly participate in elections, especially at the local level,” SPLC officials warned, adding that communities of color, immigrant communities, minority faith communities and LGBTQ communities are “all targeted by and experience the negative effects of hate-filled rhetoric and anti-government conspiracies through actions such as banning books, protesting drag story hours and using school boards as politcal battlegrounds.

Margaret Huang, president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center and SPLC Action Fund, said, “With a historic election just months away, this year, more than any other, we must act to preserve our democracy. That will require us to directly address the danger of hate and extremism from our schools to our statehouses.

“Our report exposes these far-right extremists and serves as a tool for advocates and communities working to counter disinformation, false conspiracies and threats to voters and election workers. Together, we can dismantle white supremacy and ensure all communities see themselves represented in our democracy.”

Among the report’s findings are that Christian supremacy and dominionism are “animating features” of anti-government conspiracies and organizing, with a goal to transform U.S. culture and politics into an authoritarian state. According to the SPLC press release, “The New Apostolic Reformation is the latest chapter in dominionists’ modern effort to make their reading of Christianity authoritative and supreme in everyone’s lives — representing the greatest threat to American democracy that most people have never heard of.”

The report also shows that “male supremacy” continues to be a foundation for hate, and in 2023 an extreme segment of the anti-abortion movements “mobilized supporters and consolidated their influence” in state legislatures across the country, SPLC identified four anti-abortion extremists under the male supremacists hate group designation, including Operation Rescue and End Abortion Now.

The report also highlights the positive impact of those working to make communities more inclusive and less susceptible to extremism, highlighting how a civilian oversight board instituted a new policy prohibiting officers in the Chicago Police Department from belonging to extremist and hate groups. The report also shows how Drag Story Hour is countering LGBTQ bigotry with literacy programs across the country.

Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project, said, “Despite an alarming spike in hard-right groups and actions, we are encouraged by communities who have joined together to push back against voices that are preaching division and hate. In the face of hate and bigotry, we can — and we will — remain hopeful and safeguard our multiracial, inclusive democracy for generations to come.”

According to the Year in Hate and Extremism report, SPCA tracked 97 hate and anti-government groups in Texas in 2023, up from just 72 in 2022. In 2000, SPLC tracked only 38 such groups in Texas.

There were more hate/anti-government groups tracked in Texas in 2023 than in any other state, except California with 117 and Florida with 114. Find more information here.

Those groups in Texas include:

  • 14 FIRST, statewide neo-Nazi group.
  • ACT FOR AMERICA, a Houston-based anti-Muslim group.
  • ACTIVE CLUB, a white nationalist group with four chapters in Houston, Lubbock and San Antonio
  • AMERICAN MEETING GROUP, A Sovereign Citizens movement group in Austin.
  • AMERICAN NATIONAL SOCIALIST PARTY, a statewide Neo-Nazi group
  • AMERICAN NATIONALIST INITIATIVE, a statewide general hate group
  • AMERICAN PATRIOT VANGUARD, a general anti-government group in Fort Worth
  • ARYAN FREEDOM NETWORK, a statewide neo-Nazi group
  • ASATRU FOLK ASSEMBLY, a statewide neo-Völkisch group
  • BORDER NETWORK NEWS, an anti-immigrant group in El Paso
  • CAROLYNYEAGER.NET, an anti-Semitic effort based in Kerrville
  • CHRIST OR CHAOS, a radical traditional Catholicism group based in Corsicana
  • CITIZENS DEFENDING FREEDOM, a general anti-government group with chapters in Collin County, Dallas County, Denton County, Harris County, Montgomery County, Nueces County, Tarrant County, Travis County and Williamson County.
  • CONCERNED CHRISTIAN CITIZENS, an anti-LGBTQ group in Temple
  • CONCERNED PARENTS OF TEXAS , a general anti-government group in Austin
  • CONSTITUTION PARTY, a general anti-government group in Fort Worth.
  • CONSTITUTIONAL SHERIFFS AND PEACE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, a statewide constitutional sheriffs group
  • DEFENSE DISTRIBUTED, a general anti-government group in Austin
  • EAGLE FORUM, a general anti-government group with chapters in Dallas and Spring.
  • FOUNDATION TO ABOLISH ABORTION, a male supremacy group in Liberty Hill
  • GDL — TEXAS, a statewide anti-Semitism group
  • GLOBAL AND THEOLOGICAL TRENDS, an anti-Muslim group in San Antonio
  • INFOWARS LLC, Austin-based conspiracy propagandists
  • ISD RECORDS/NS88 VIDEO, hate music in Denison
  • JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY — FORT WORTH/DALLAS TX CHAPTER, Fort Worth-based conspiracy propagandists
  • MASS RESISTANCE, a statewide anti-LGBTQ group
  • MOM ARMY, a general anti-government group with chapters in Austin, Dallas and Houston
  • MOMS FOR LIBERTY, a general anti-government with chapters in Bexar county, Collin County, Corpus Christi/Nueces, Denton County, El Paso County, Fort Bend County, Gillespie County, Lubbock County, San Patricio County, Travis County and Williamson County.
  • MONTGOMERY COUNTY EAGLE FORUM, a general anti-government group in Spring
  • MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, a general hate group in Houston
  • NATION OF ISLAM, an anti-Semitic group in Houston
  • NATIONAL JUSTICE PARTY — TEXAS, a statewide white nationalist group
  • NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY, a general hate group in Houston
  • NEW BLACK PANTHER PARTY FOR SELF DEFENSE, a general hate group in Dallas
  • NEW COLUMBIA MOVEMENT — TEXAS, a statewide white nationalist group
  • NEWS WITH VIEWS, a general anti-government group in Spring Branch
  • ONEBODY IN YAHAWASHI, a general hate group in Dallas
  • ORDER OF THE BLACK SUN, a statewide neo-Nazi group
  • OVERPASSES FOR AMERICA — TEXAS STATEWIDE, a statewide general anti-government group
  • PARENTS’ RIGHTS IN EDUCATION — TEXAS, a statewide general anti-government group
  • PATRIOT FRONT, a statewide white nationalist group
  • PATRIOTS FOR AMERICA, a Dallas-based militia movement
  • POWER OF PROPHECY, a general hate group in Spicewood
  • PROBE MINISTRIES, an anti-LGBTQ group in Plano
  • PROTECT TEXAS KIDS, a general hate group in Denison
  • PROUD BOYS, a general hate group with chapters in Houston and San Antonio
  • REPUBLIC BROADCASTING, conspiracy propagandists based in Round Rock
  • REPUBLIC OF TEXAS, a Bastrop County-based Sovereign Citizens movement
  • RULE OF LAW RADIO, Austin-based conspiracy propagandists
  • SILVER BEAR CAFÉ, Garland-based conspiracy propagandists
  • STEDFAST BAPTIST CHURCH, an anti-LGBTQ group in Cedar Hill
  • TACTICAL CIVICS (AMERICA AGAIN), a general anti-government group with chapters in Denton County,Freestone County, Harris County, Montgomery County Parker County and San Patricio County
  • TEXANS FOR IMMIGRATION REDUCTION AND ENFORCEMENT, an anti-immigrant group in Houston
  • TEXANS4TRUTH, Georgetown-based conspiracy propagandists
  • TEXAS EAGLE FORUM, conspiracy propagandists
  • TEXAS FREEDOM COALITION, general anti-government group in Flint
  • TEXAS PARENTS INVOLVED IN EDUCATION, statewide general anti-government group
  • TEXAS THREE PERCENTERS, statewide militia movement
  • THE REMEMBRANCE PROJECT, an anti-immigrant group in Houston
  • THIS IS TEXAS FREEDOM FORCE, a statewide militia movement
  • TOM BROWN MINISTRIES, an anti-LGBTQ group in El Paso
  • TRUE TEXAS PROJECT, a general anti-government group in Tarrant County
  • TRUTH IN TEXTBOOKS, an anti-Muslim group in Boerne
  • UNDERSTANDING THE THREAT, an anti-Muslim group in Dallas
  • WE ARE CHANGE, a general anti-government group with a statewide chapter and a chapter in Corpus Christi