Illinois, with a monitored population of 12,125,954, reported that 65 hate crimes occurred within its borders in 2019, the latest year for which data was available, according to newly released FBI data.

A total of 728 public safety agencies in Illinois reported the data. The collection of the data is the result of the Hate Crimes Statistics Act, which Congress passed in April of 1990.

The crimes reported to the FBI were motivated by either race, ethnicity or ancestry; gender identity; religious affiliation; disability or sexual orientation. In addition to individuals, victims can also be business and financial institutions, public agencies and religious groups, according to the FBI.

The greatest number of incidents were motivated by race, ethnicity or ancestry, according to the report. Of those incidents, more than 48 percent were driven by anti-Black hatred, while 15.8 percent grew out of anti-White bias, the data show. Anti-Hispanic incidents made up 14.1 percent of the total.

More than 60 percent of the hate crimes motivated by religious bias were anti-Jewish, the report said.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Department of Justice

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