'Cruelty Is The Issue Here': Durbin Slams Trump Administration Over Deportation Of DACA Recipients

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:00]Uh, the 11-count indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center over wire fraud, false statements, and conspiracy to commit money laundering states that between 2014 and 2023, the SPLC covertly funneled more than $3 million in donated funds to individuals who were associated with several violent extremist groups, including the KKK, the National Socialist Movement, and the National Socialist Party of America. Because the SPLC was instigating rather than infiltrating these hate groups, donor money was seemingly being used to create and prop up the very hate that SPLC claimed to be fighting against. More hate means more money for the SPLC, and this led to a transformation of this corrupt and divisive group moving towards a creator of hate within America.

[00:00:48]There is a fundamental difference between federal law enforcement using paid informants and a nonprofit organization lying to financial institutions to combat hate, racism, and anti-Semitism.

[00:01:03]The SPLC's field sources were doing much more than gathering information. For example, the indictment notes that one field source, quote, made racist postings under the supervision of the SPLC and helped coordinate transportation to the Charlottesville event for several attendees, end quote.

[00:01:21]Mr. O'Neil, do you believe that SPLC's conduct crossed the line from infiltrator to instigator?

[00:01:30]Yes, based on the information in the indictment. So, in response to the indictment, the SP We also found out that the at the SPLC was sharing information with law enforcement. I've got concerns about that because of the how biased the SPLC obviously is, and the information that they were sharing with law enforcement was also biased. I think that you can tell that by the questioning or at least the the accusations that were just recently made and even some of the articles that were identified by the the woman from California.

[00:02:02]Uh the the articles themselves even accusing the folks this week of committing the horrible act at the mosque out in San Diego. Uh their own writings defy and and disagree with what she was alleging over there. Individuals on the right and left have long recognized that the SPLC is no longer the group that it was founded to be. Mr. O'Neal, shouldn't we be concerned that our government and law enforcement are accepting information from knowingly biased sources?

[00:02:31]Yes, we should be concerned that they were receiving information specifically from a group that systematically demonizes concerned parents, uh conservative Christian groups, and even groups of LGB people who oppose the sexualization of children.

[00:02:47]So, if the SPLC were instigating criminal action and then reporting such information to law enforcement, would that raise not would that not raise even more legally dubious conflicts, Mr. Perkins?

[00:03:02]It would. SPLC was kind of it was like they were hiring an arsonist to create a fire, then they were calling the fire department and ratting out the arsonist that they hired. Uh and then they wanted to get >> or accusing someone else of setting the fire.

[00:03:17]>> Well, but they also wanted to get citizen of the year award by calling in and turning in the arsonist that they paid. Uh this is a it's a conspiracy that goes way beyond just money.

[00:03:29]This was about trying to demonize, silence, and completely eliminate any opposition to the left when it came to their agenda.

[00:03:38]And that's what's played out I think today with the the the questioning in your testimony.

[00:03:43]But now we're finding out that the SPLC was not only engaged in this kind of behavior, but we have schools across the country that have included SPLC information in their curriculum. Dr. Swain, what are the concerns that you have in that regard?

[00:03:58]I have concerns that the SPLC's program teaching tolerance is really intolerant and many of the public and private schools use their materials and because they have so many so much so many resources uh they are able to get into the schools in a way that I think is very dangerous because they all about indoctrination uh a very progressive agenda.

[00:04:26]And and so that is my concern. Okay, I appreciate that. Uh I believe that this program that it's the Learning for Justice is the community education program that I am referring to. Mr. O'Neal, do you have concerns about that program as well?

[00:04:42]Yes, so it's very telling in my mind that the program that was long known as Teaching Tolerance, apparently the SPLC has become too woke for tolerance, so they changed the name to nix the tolerance and just go with Learning for Justice. Okay, all right, interesting.

[00:04:58]Well, I'm just about out of time. I also have a unanimous consent.

[00:05:02]>> LA's right to This is an article from April 30th, 2026 from LifeSite News, The Both Sides Political Violence Narrative Completely Debunked, They Cooked the Books. An example being that all claims of anti-Semitism they claim are right-wing or conservative attacks when we know that is absolutely not the case.

[00:05:21]They do not count what happened on 9/11 and there are many other examples in this particular article where they have absolutely cooked the books that they claimed left-wing violence is right-wing when we know that that isn't true. So, they're even lying about that as well.

[00:05:36]So, thank you and I yield back.