NEW YORK -- More than 160 religious, civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups called on US congressional leaders to denounce lawmakers who use white supremacist and anti-immigrant rhetoric, arguing that it can lead to violence for marginalized communities, reported Iowa Capital Dispatch on Wednesday.

The appeal came on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas in which 23 people were murdered.

Organizations from 24 US states as well as the District of Columbia wrote a letter to top congressional leaders from both parties, asking them to not only "unequivocally denounce white supremacist, anti-immigrant rhetoric and its use by members of Congress," but to also "encourage members of your caucuses to refrain from using this dangerous rhetoric," the report said.

"That rhetoric is known as the great replacement theory, a racist conspiracy theory that claims the growing numbers of immigrants and people of color will lead to the extinction of the white race," said Iowa Capital Dispatch.

The organizations noted that dozens of lawmakers have referred to migrants as "invaders" or an "invasion," invoking the great replacement theory, according to the report.

"Despite this repeated violence across the United States, members of Congress continue to invoke the antisemitic and anti-immigrant conspiracy theories that have inspired multiple violent attacks," the letter noted.