Springfield, April 9, 2025 … ADL Midwest (the Anti-Defamation League) and state legislators will hold a news conference today, Wednesday, April 9, at 1:00 pm to discuss ADL’s new report highlighting the rise in extremism and extremist activity across Illinois as tracked by ADL’s Center on Extremism. The news conference will take place in the Blue Room of the Illinois State Capitol Building in Springfield.
The report provides specific overviews of extremist activity in more than two dozen Illinois counties. Each county extremism report is a window into the way extremism shows up both statewide and in our local communities, affecting Illinoisans way beyond the targeted victim.
Extremism is intended to have wide-ranging effects on targeted marginalized communities. In the last few years, extremists have especially targeted LGBTQ+, Black, Brown, Jewish, Muslim and immigrant communities to spread fear. The intent is to undermine diversity and pluralism, the fundamental strengths of American society and Illinois.
The county reports contain an action plan for combating extremism locally and statewide through legislation and activation across the state. ADL will recognize and thank lawmakers who have taken meaningful steps to protect Illinois against extremism and hate – and highlight legislation pending before the General Assembly aimed at protecting vulnerable communities and responding to hate and extremism in the state.
The FBI’s most recent hate crimes data shows a more than 20-year high in the number of hate crimes reported across the United States and a 362% increase in the number of hate crimes reported in Illinois from 2019 (70 reported) to 2023 (324 reported).
ADL is the leading anti-hate organization in the world. Founded in 1913 to protect the Jewish people, ADL works to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and secure justice and fair treatment to all. In the face of rising antisemitism and extremism, we protect, advocate and educate, through a mix of programs and services using the latest innovations and technology, and seek to create a world without hate.