I believe they started with the communists, but the point is still valid (assuming this posts question pertains mainly to the current US policies) since they have been prosecuting communists since the first World War and the following Mccarthy era. I think details matter and if we are drawing parallels, it is worth mentioning that neither Mussolinis fascism nor Hitlers nazism could take hold if it weren't for the wealthy elites endorsing them such that they could usurp the democratic system and destroy it from within. But yes, taking aim at minorities is like the canary in the coal mine for encroaching fascism. Upending civil rights pays off, at least for the rich.