WASHINGTON (AURN News) — Nearly 60 Democratic lawmakers are demanding federal investigations into a disturbing series of Black people found hanging across the country.
At the center of the effort, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., is leading the letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel.
In the letter, the lawmakers cite at least 10 reported hanging deaths in 2026 involving Black people as young as 18 in states including Mississippi, Michigan and New York.
The cases remain varied, and not all of the deaths have been ruled homicides.
In making their case for federal review, lawmakers argue that America’s history of racial terror lynchings makes independent scrutiny essential before ruling out suicide or foul play.
To that end, they want federal investigators to review local police work, physical evidence and witness accounts, seek family permission for independent autopsies and report their findings to Congress.
Beyond the individual cases, the letter also calls for a national system to track these deaths, warning that unanswered questions deepen fear and trauma throughout Black communities.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @ebonymcmorris & @aurnonline.
