Hate Crimes Against International Students in the US: Reporting and Support

How US law defines a hate crime

Federal law, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act (18 U.S.C. 249), makes it a crime to cause injury because of a person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Most states also have their own hate crime statutes that add extra penalties on top of the underlying offense, such as assault or vandalism.

An incident does not have to be violent to qualify. Threats, vandalism of property, and some forms of harassment count if bias against a protected trait is the motive, according to the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division . Investigators look at the words used, the target chosen, and the pattern of prior incidents to decide whether bias was a factor.

The scale of the problem

The FBI's most recent hate crime report, covering 2024 and released in August 2025, recorded 11,679 incidents nationwide, the second highest total since the agency began collecting this data in 1991, though down 10 percent from 2023's 12,498 incidents, according to Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC .

Anti-Asian hate crimes dropped 6.8 percent from 2023 to 2024 but remained the third highest year on record for that category, at nearly three times pre-pandemic levels. Researchers who study this data widely agree that official counts undercount the real total, since many victims never file a report at all. Check the FBI's Crime Data Explorer for the newest figures when you read this.

Why international students underreport

Advocacy groups and campus safety offices point to a consistent set of reasons. You might not know a formal reporting system exists, or you might distrust police based on experiences in your home country. Language is also a barrier when describing an incident in detail to an officer who does not speak your first language.

Some students worry that contact with law enforcement complicates their immigration status, even though reporting a crime as the victim does not violate your visa terms. Others worry about retaliation from the person involved, or assume the incident will not be taken seriously, particularly for verbal harassment that leaves no physical evidence.

What counts as reportable, even if it feels minor

Report an incident even if you are unsure it meets the legal bar for a hate crime. Slurs shouted at you, a note left on your door, property damage targeting your background, or repeated harassment tied to your identity are all worth reporting. Campus offices and advocacy groups track patterns across many smaller reports, and a pattern often triggers a response that a single incident does not.

Where to report on campus

• Campus police or public safety, for anything involving a physical threat or immediate danger

• Your school's bias incident reporting system, usually run through the dean of students or diversity office, for incidents that do not need an emergency response

• Your international student office or DSO, who connect you to campus resources and explain how reporting affects, or does not affect, your status

• The Title IX office, if the incident involves sex-based harassment combined with bias

Where to report off campus

• Local police, by calling 911 for an emergency or the non-emergency line to file a report afterward

• The FBI, through tips.fbi.gov or your local field office

• The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, through its online complaint portal

• Stop AAPI Hate , which collects reports of racism and bias against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and connects victims to support

What happens after you file a report

Campus police and local police open a case file, assign a report number, and, if there is enough evidence, investigate further or refer the case to a prosecutor. A bias incident report through the dean of students office usually leads to a review and, where appropriate, disciplinary action against a student, employee, or campus visitor involved. Ask for your case number and the name of the person handling it, and request updates in writing so you have a record of the process.

Support after an incident

Your school's counseling center offers free sessions to enrolled students, and many have staff trained in trauma support. International student offices help with practical steps like replacing damaged property or documents. Off campus, victim advocacy organizations connected to your local police department explain your rights, including, in some states, compensation for crime-related expenses.

Document what happened as soon as possible after it occurs. Write down the date, time, location, what was said or done, and any witnesses. Save messages, photos, or video if you have them. This record helps whichever office you report to and helps you remember details accurately later.

Talking to family back home

Deciding how much to tell your family about an incident is a personal choice. Some students find it helps to have support from home, while others prefer to handle it locally first and share details later. Your international student office also acts as a point of contact if you want someone to explain the situation to family members in a way that does not cause alarm, particularly if there is a language gap.