[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1178 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1178
Commemorating the 5-year remembrance of the April 15, 2021, mass
shooting at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, and
denouncing all forms of anti-Asian hate, including the resurgence of
xenophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 15, 2026
Ms. Jayapal (for herself, Mr. Carson, Ms. Meng, Ms. Chu, Ms. DelBene,
Mr. Gottheimer, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Norton, Mr. Pallone, Ms. Simon,
Mr. Soto, Mr. Suozzi, and Mr. Thompson of California) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight
and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on the
Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the
jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Commemorating the 5-year remembrance of the April 15, 2021, mass
shooting at a FedEx Ground facility in Indianapolis, Indiana, and
denouncing all forms of anti-Asian hate, including the resurgence of
xenophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Whereas, on April 15, 2021, a shooter murdered 8 people in Indianapolis,
Indiana, at the FedEx Ground Plainfield Operations Center;
Whereas the victims included--
(1) Matthew R. Alexander;
(2) Samaria M. Blackwell;
(3) Amarjeet Kaur Johal;
(4) Jasvinder Kaur;
(5) Amarjit Kaur Sekhon;
(6) Jaswinder Singh;
(7) Karli Ann Smith; and
(8) John Steven ``Steve'' Weisert;
Whereas 2026 marks the fifth year since the loss of these innocent lives, 4 of
whom were members of the Indianapolis Sikh community;
Whereas the shooting occurred in a location with a majority Sikh workforce, and
in the context of a documented surge in anti-Asian hate crimes,
xenophobic rhetoric, and violence targeting Asian American and Pacific
Islander (AAPI) communities across the United States;
Whereas inflammatory narratives seek to disenfranchise and dehumanize Muslim,
Arab, South Asian, Hindu, and Sikh communities collectively, and experts
warn that such rhetoric can embolden individuals inspired by xenophobic
conspiracy theories and other toxic ideologies to commit acts of
violence, including those aligned with domestic extremist ideologies;
Whereas United States-based Sikhs have often been stigmatized and targeted
because of their visible articles of faith and other aspects of their
intersectional identities, facing increased discrimination and violence
after September 11, 2001, due to widespread ignorance that conflated
Sikhs with images of foreign terrorists on television;
Whereas the latest Federal hate crime statistics for 2024 show that Sikhs and
Muslims continue to be among the most targeted religious groups for hate
crimes, confirming persistent risk and ongoing harm;
Whereas national survey data show that the prevalence of experiencing a hate act
based on race, ethnicity, or nationality rose for South Asian adults
from 43 percent in 2023 to 54 percent in 2024 and remained high in 2025;
Whereas anti-South Asian slurs comprised 73 percent of all anti-Asian slurs in
online spaces associated with targeted violence in 2025;
Whereas language access barriers, immigration status concerns, and lack of trust
in law enforcement can contribute to underreporting of hate crimes and
limit access to services for survivors;
Whereas AAPI communities across the country continue to grapple with grief,
trauma, and the long-term mental health impacts of anti-Asian hate and
require access to culturally responsive mental health services, trauma-
informed care, and language-accessible support services to heal and
rebuild;
Whereas the immigrant and refugee experience is often marked by
intergenerational trauma and enduring mental distress, as communities
fleeing persecution search for safety and the ``American Dream'', only
to face systemic violence and xenophobia that leaves a lasting impact on
their collective psyche and well-being;
Whereas South Asians account for 73 percent of H-1B visa holders in the United
States and have been falsely scapegoated in public discourse that frames
Asian immigrants as ``stealing'' American jobs;
Whereas immigrant truckdrivers, including many from the Sikh and Punjabi
communities as well as other AAPI communities, continue to be
scapegoated in rhetoric and policy proposals for posing a risk to road
safety despite a complete lack of evidence for such claims;
Whereas many South Asians make tremendous contributions serving underserved and
rural communities as doctors through the Conrad-30 program;
Whereas inflammatory and hateful rhetoric exists in the context of
discriminatory policies, like the suspension of visas for 75 countries,
including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan;
Whereas South Asian communities currently face the highest volume of anti-Asian
hostility observed in domestic violent extremist online spaces, with
that hate manifesting in interpersonal and institutional spaces and as
racism, xenophobia, and faith-based discrimination;
Whereas community reports underscore that anti-immigrant rhetoric and
disinformation portraying South Asian immigrants as security threats
continue to fuel hostility and do translate into real-world intimidation
and violence; and
Whereas South Asian communities have contributed immeasurably to the cultural,
civic, scientific, and economic life of the United States and deserve
safety, dignity, and equal protection under the law: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns the heinous act of gun violence that led to
the tragic loss of 8 lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April
15, 2021;
(2) honors the memory of the victims and offers heartfelt
condolences to their families, loved ones, and the communities
forever changed by this tragedy;
(3) condemns--
(A) acts of violence, bigotry, and discrimination
against South Asian Americans, Arabs, Hindus, Muslims,
and Sikhs;
(B) White supremacist rhetoric; and
(C) the administration's crackdown on immigrant
communities;
(4) calls for the restoration and expansion of the
Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance programs,
COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act programs, Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act
programs, Community Relations Service, and other community-
based approaches to improve Federal hate crime data collection
and prevention efforts;
(5) calls on the administration to restore immigration
processing and reverse its anti-immigrant policies; and
(6) reaffirms the commitment of the Federal Government to
protect the civil and human rights of all people in the United
States and ensure that communities can live free from fear and
violence.
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