A week after US cellphone users reported a spate of racist text messages, members of the Hispanic and LGBTQ communities are now receiving messages telling them they’ve been singled out for deportation or sent to a re-education camp, according to a new report. from the FBI
Messages follow reports from African American and black residents By receiving racist texts in the days following the 2024 election, they were selected to “pick cotton in a field,” according to the FBI. Cell phone users in at least nine cities — New York, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Houston, Huntsville, Texas, Los Angeles, Norfolk, Virginia and Tuscaloosa, Alabama — reported receiving the messages.
The new message also includes some emails, the FBI said in its statement.
TextNow, a mobile provider that lets people create phone numbers for free, said last week that “one or more” of its users allegedly sent racist text messages to phone numbers across the country and services. close accounts quickly
The FBI said it is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter.
The recipients of these messages are high school and college students.
“While we have not received any reports of violent acts resulting from these offensive messages, we are evaluating all reported incidents and contacting the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice,” the FBI said in a statement Friday. “We are also sharing information with our law enforcement partners and community, academic and faith leaders.”
Anyone who receives these messages — or any threats of violence — is encouraged to report them to the FBI.
