Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, alongside nearly 60 other Democrats, have called for a federal investigation into a series of recent deaths involving Black individuals found hanging across several states. In a letter sent Tuesday to Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel, the group expressed concern over what they described as a potential “national crisis” of modern-day lynchings.
The lawmakers cited 10 reported cases of Black people found hanging so far in 2026, urging federal authorities to conduct thorough and transparent inquiries into each death. The letter emphasized the need for independent autopsies, audits of local law enforcement investigations, and comprehensive reviews of physical and testimonial evidence. Signatories also requested that the findings be presented in reports submitted to Congress. Additionally, the letter called for enhanced federal data collection on hanging deaths among Black individuals in a systematic and transparent manner.
Among the cited cases, only one death is currently being investigated as a homicide: the killing of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune in Mississippi. Jacques Ratliff, 51, was arrested in connection with that case on Friday. Another death, involving a Black father of nine in North Carolina, remains under investigation due to suspicious circumstances. The remaining fatalities, which occurred in states including Georgia and North Carolina, have been ruled suicides by local officials following medical examinations and law enforcement reviews.
Ocasio-Cortez’s office responded to public scrutiny and fact-checking by stating that all investigations should be conducted with the permission of the decedents’ families and include independent autopsies and thorough audits of local investigations. The representatives also reiterated their request that the Department of Justice apply the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, enacted in 2022, in any cases where lynching is determined to have occurred. This legislation establishes lynching as a federal hate crime with penalties of up to 30 years imprisonment.
The group’s letter was quickly met with criticism from some users on social media who pointed to official rulings that most of the deaths were suicides rather than homicides motivated by racial animus. Despite this, the lawmakers maintain their call for investigations, citing the historical significance and ongoing concerns related to lynching in the United States.
Neither the Department of Justice nor the FBI had responded to requests for comment at the time of publication. Representatives for Ayanna Pressley’s office also did not provide a statement.