A civil-rights group says California is home to more hate groups than any other state. A new report out suggests the debate over immigration is fueling a surge in hate groups, including here in San Diego. KPBS reporter Andrew Phelps has the story.
The Southern Poverty Law Center identifies 80 "hate groups" in California, three of those in San Diego: the United Society of Aryan Skinheads, the Nation of Islam, and the music label Condemned Records. Editor Mark Potok says none of the local groups are specifically anti-immigrant, but Latinos have become a focus of their agenda.
Potok: If you look at traditional hate groups, Klan groups, Neo-nazi groups and so on, they are almost exclusively focused now on undocumented migrants coming to this country. They really barely hold rallies or put out literature dealing with any other issue these days.
One group named is the Federation for American Immigration Reform in Washington, which has issued a statement denouncing a "manipulation" of data. The group says the law center just wants to squash a legitimate debate.
Andrew Phelps, KPBS News.
