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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is supporting a lawsuit against the town of Forestburgh, New York, alleging that town officials engaged in antisemitic efforts to block a housing project intended for Hasidic families.
According to the department's Statement of Interest filing, local officials and residents opposed the arrival of Orthodox Jews, with one resident stating: “Dirty money from the Jewish mafia is involved, and you wonder why Germans did what they say they did.” Another email circulated among town officials warned that Hasidic Jews “take over, like locusts — killing everything they encounter, draining every last resource.”
At the core of the lawsuit is the assertion that town officials weaponized zoning regulations, tax assessments and environmental reviews to obstruct the project proposed by Lost Lake Holdings, LLC. The DOJ’s filing accuses Forestburgh leaders of clear religious discrimination, pointing to internal communications revealing an explicit intent to block the housing development because of the Orthodox Jewish identity of its buyers.
One email, written by the chairman of Forestburgh’s Planning Board, stated: “Please don’t be scared about the Hasidic threat — we’re energized and have the cash to fight and make their lives miserable... Bloomingburg (a neighboring town) was asleep; we’re on amphetamines.”
Another message from a private citizen, circulated among town officials, referred to the Hasidic community as a “sect notorious for misogyny and child abuse” and warned of their supposed impact on the town: “I do fear their wanton destruction of the towns and school districts they take over, like locusts—killing everything they encounter, draining every last resource, bleeding the beast and destroying Forestburgh as we know and love it today,” the message said, using "bleeding the beast" to referr to welfare payments. Instead of rejecting this characterization, the Planning Board chairman forwarded the message, adding, “I too have been thinking strategy about how to prevent Lost Lake from overwhelming the town.”
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The case began in 2020 when an Orthodox Jewish developer acquired rights to a long-approved housing project. The site, previously zoned for 2,627 residential units, was initially approved without controversy. However, as soon as it became clear that the homes were intended for Hasidic Jewish families, the town allegedly reversed course, withdrawing approvals and imposing new obstacles, including inflated property assessments, denials of building permits, and a sudden decision to reopen a 14-year-old environmental review.
While the DOJ’s intervention in civil rights and fair housing cases is not unprecedented, its involvement in this case is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to incorporate the fight against antisemitism into its legal framework. The DOJ’s statement explicitly ties its position to President Donald Trump's recent Executive Order on Combating Antisemitism, which calls for stronger enforcement of federal anti-discrimination laws against anti-Jewish bias.
Legal experts suggest that Forestburgh’s attempts to dismiss the case as “unripe” — arguing that no final decision has been reached regarding the development’s approval — are unlikely to succeed. The DOJ asserts that the evidence of discriminatory intent is extensive and that the developers have already suffered financial and reputational harm.
Jewish advocacy groups, including Agudath Israel of America, have long expressed concerns about discriminatory zoning practices targeting Orthodox communities. Rabbis Representatives of Agudath Israel, have testified before the Forestburgh Town Board, urging officials to halt their obstructionist tactics and reach an agreement. These appeals, however, were met with continued resistance from town leadership.
With millions of dollars in losses already claimed by the developers and a federal case now gaining momentum, Forestburgh officials face mounting pressure to justify their actions. The DOJ’s filing makes clear that this is no mere zoning dispute — it is a test of federal civil rights protections and the government’s willingness to confront antisemitism in housing policies.