White supremacist activity in US flourishes, fueled by anti-immigrant sentiments

The Associated Press
February 5, 2007

NEW YORK: Huge street protests against tougher immigration laws made millions of immigrants more visible and powerful in the United States last year, but, according to some rights groups, they seem to have revived a hateful counter force: white supremacists.

Groups linked to the Ku Klux Klan, skinheads and neo-Nazis grew significantly more active, holding more rallies, distributing leaflets and increasing their presence on the Internet — much of it focused on stirring anti-immigrant sentiment, a new report released by the Anti-Defamation League says.

"Extremist groups are good at seizing on whatever the hot button is of the day and twisting the message to get new members," Deborah M. Lauter, ADL Civil Rights director, said Monday. "This one seems to be taking hold with more of mainstream America than we'd like to see."

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