And why is making a hit-list not a crime?
I’m not sure what your question has to do with whether or not the SPLC is a hate group, but I’ll try to answer it:
MAKING a hit list is not a crime. Acting on said list, or encouraging others to do so, is a crime.
For example, making a list of abortion doctors is not a crime. Killing abortion doctors and ‘checking them off the list’ is a crime.