Coalition of Rights Groups Applaud Introduction of Bill to End Racial Profiling

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Keith Rushing, Communications Manager,krushing@rightsworkinggroup.org
(P) 202-591-3305 (c) 557-4291
 


 December 13, 2011, Washington, D.C. – Rights Working Group commends Congressman John Conyers (D-Mich.) for his outstanding leadership in sponsoring the End Racial Profiling Act of 2011 (H.R. 3618), which was introduced in the House of Representatives on Thursday, Dec. 8.

 In addition, Rights Working Group applauds the 37 congressional representatives who joined Congressman Conyers in co-sponsoring this important legislation.

 The End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA) would prohibit racial profiling by law enforcement at the local, state and federal levels on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, and gender.  The House version of ERPA is a companion bill to S 1670, introduced by Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and nine others in the Senate in October.

 In 2009, Rights Working Group launched the "Racial Profiling: Face the Truth Campaign" and began  working with allies across the country to end law enforcement practices that discriminate based on race, ethnicity, national origin and religion.

 Margaret Huang, executive director of Rights Working Group, lauded the introduction of ERPA in the House. “Congressman Conyers first introduced a bill to end racial profiling in June 2001, and his leadership has been critical in reminding his colleagues in Congress of the importance of fighting this ineffective law enforcement practice. She added: “We will commit all of our energies to working with Congressman Conyers and other congressional cosponsors  to see that ERPA is finally passed.”

 In addition to prohibiting racial profiling, ERPA would: create training programs to guard against racial profiling and civil rights abuses; create a system of mandated data collection and monitoring of the race, ethnicity, religion, gender and national origin of all those stopped or detained by law enforcement; create a procedure for investigating and responding to complaints of victims of racial profiling and create a private right of action that would enable victims of racial profiling to seek redress.

For decades, African Americans and Latinos have been more likely to be stopped by police while driving or walking based solely on their skin color. After 9/11, racial profiling began to have greater impact on Arab, Muslim, Middle Eastern and South Asian Americans, as well as noncitizens of those backgrounds, particularly in airports and at border entry points.  In addition, Latinos and people perceived to be Latino have increasingly suffered instances of racial profiling as local and state police have taken on a greater role in immigration enforcement, focusing too often, on race, ethnicity and national origin, when deciding whom to stop.

“Discriminatory practices by law enforcement are unconstitutional,” Huang explained. “But unfortunately we are still seeing racial profiling in the stop-and-frisk policies in New York, in the 'papers please' law in Alabama, and in  the stops and interrogations of passengers in airports by the Transportation Security Administration.”

“ERPA, once passed, will hold law enforcement accountable for using these discriminatory practices and help this country reflect its highest ideals of fairness and equal justice under the law.”

                                                         ###

Formed in the aftermath of 9/11, Rights Working Group is a coalition of more than 320 community-based, grassroots and national organizations working to restore civil liberties and human rights protections for all people living in the U.S.