OAKLAND, Calif. — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Feb. 23, 2026, that hate crime resources are now available in the Somali language following reports that Somali childcare providers have been subjected to harassment, stalking and intimidation at their homes and workplaces.
On Feb. 23, 2026, a press release from the California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office announced that resources for hate crimes are available in Somali (Know Your Rights and Protections Under Hate Crimes Laws, How to Report Hate Crimes and Incidents, and Get Help).
Attorney General Bonta discussed the unnerving reports of childcare providers in California encountering selective harassment and stalking by internet vigilantes. Reports detail that this harassment has involved “uninvited home visits and filming,” according to the Attorney General’s news release.
The United Domestic Workers Union has similarly recorded an uptick in harassment toward Somali child care providers by right-wing extremists, inciting fear among San Diego’s Somali community.
Executive Director Doug Moore of United Domestic Workers stated, “For over a month, Somali childcare providers have endured harassment by internet vigilantes who are dead set on exposing fraud in California’s highly regulated government child care system. In the process, they are stalking and intimidating our members at their homes and places of business.” Moore said these vigilantes are exacerbating distrust among communities “after taking cues from the president, who referred to Somalians as ‘garbage.’”
Attorney General Bonta stated, “Reports that internet vigilantes are harassing San Diegan childcare providers at their homes and workplaces are extremely alarming. California has laws that prohibit this type of harassment. Last week, I denounced these deplorable acts, and today, I am happy to announce that hate crime resources are now available in the Somali language. I encourage all Californians and law enforcement agencies to know their rights and familiarize themselves with laws that protect individuals.”
Harassment is considered a hate crime in California if a person is targeted because of actual or perceived nationality, including immigrant status. Reporting hate crimes to police as a witness or a victim is essential to keeping our communities safe. Importantly, the Attorney General’s press release notes that the laws in California prohibit law enforcement authorities from asking anyone reporting a crime about their immigration status, unless required to authenticate the victim for a T visa (victim of human trafficking visa) or a U visa (victim of crime visa).
This report concludes by expressing that hate crimes affect not just individuals but whole communities and represent an attack on the entire state, similar to how these attacks are spreading fear among the whole Somali community in San Diego, not just the daycare workers.
“It is the job of the California Department of Justice to see that the laws of the State are uniformly and adequately enforced.”
Resources for Reporting of and Response to Hate Crimes:
For law enforcement and prosecutors:
- Law Enforcement Bulletin on Laws Prohibiting Hate Crimes and/or Providing for Enhanced Penalties for Specific Hate Crimes
- Hate Crimes Rapid Response Protocol for the Deployment of CADOJ Resources
- Guidance to Prosecutors on Hate Crimes
For victims of hate crimes:
- Know Your Rights and Protections Under Hate Crimes Laws (now available in Somali)
- How to Report Hate Crimes and Incidents and Get Help. This brochure is available in: Spanish, Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Vietnamese
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