Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) led 38 Democratic Members of Congress in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Department of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer condemning the use of language rooted in white nationalist and extremist propaganda in official communications issued by their departments. The Members cited public reporting and expert analysis documenting the use of slogans and imagery closely associated with white nationalist ideology, emphasizing that such rhetoric is inseparable from movements dedicated to “white supremacism, antisemitism, the glorification of violence, and hostility toward immigrants, people of color, and religious minorities.”
“We write to express our grave concern and unequivocal condemnation of official social media posts and communications associated with the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security that have echoed and amplified language rooted in white nationalist and extremist propaganda,” the Members wrote. “When such rhetoric is issued from official government channels, it is a betrayal of public trust and a misuse of federal authority.”
As one example, the letter pointed to a January 9 social media post from the Department of Homeland Security, issued just two days after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renée Good, a U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis.
“On January 9, just two days after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Renée Good in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security posted an image on social media of a man riding a horse alongside the words, ‘We’ll have our home again,’” the Members wrote. “That phrase is central to the chorus of a well-known xenophobic song embraced by several far-right groups, including the Proud Boys.”
The letter also highlighted a post issued by the Department of Labor the following day.
“The following day, the Department of Labor posted on X: ‘One Homeland. One People. One Heritage. Remember who you are, American,’” the Members continued. “This language bears a striking resemblance to a notorious Nazi slogan, ‘One People, One Realm, One Leader,’ and is wholly incompatible with the responsibilities of the agencies you lead.”
The signers warned that the amplification of extremist-adjacent rhetoric from official government channels corrodes public trust and undermines the constitutional and moral obligations of federal institutions.
“The United States must never issue official communications that function as dog whistles to antisemites or echo the slogans of Nazi ideology,” the Members wrote. “When the Department of Labor or the Department of Homeland Security amplifies such language, it undermines the core mission of federal institutions to serve all Americans equally.”
The letter further raised concerns that such rhetoric is being normalized within the departments, citing reports that career civil servants have raised internal objections, and requested written responses detailing review procedures, accountability measures, and steps to prevent similar conduct in the future.
“Allowing this conduct to go unaddressed would signal tolerance for ideologies the United States has fought wars to defeat,” the Members concluded. “The American people deserve a government that rejects the language of hatred and extremism, not one that gives it official sanction.”
The full letter is available here.