(Newser) – The economic crush will spur more activity by the burgeoning number of hate groups in the US, experts warn. Law enforcement investigators are advocating for increased attention to the problem as the economy creates widespread discontent and more recruits for white supremacists, reports the Washington Post. "The internet, immigration and the economic crisis—that is the molten mixture for these guys," said an official with the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco. "That's the furnace of hate." The number of US hate groups has increased by 48% to 888 since 2000, according to statistics gathered by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The groups are also using the election of the nation's first black president to sow hatred. Last week the Brooklyn US attorney indicted three New Yorkers for hate crimes, charging they assaulted blacks "in retaliation" for Barack Obama's presidential victory.