Justice Department declined to prosecute 82% of hate crime suspects investigated from 2005 to 2019

The U.S. Department of Justice declined to prosecute 82% of hate crime suspects investigated from 2005 to 2019, according to a report released by the department Thursday.

The report follows Attorney General Merrick Garland’s recent efforts to improve the Justice Department’s role in combating hate crimes and hate incidents. 

Under four statutes in the U.S. Criminal Code, hate crimes are defined as crimes committed on the basis of a victim’s characteristics such as race, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or disability.

Most recently, reports of hate crimes targeting Asian...