Dem bill targets racial profiling by police

New legislation in Congress would expand prohibitions against racial profiling.

With tensions rising between police and the black community over a recent killings of unarmed men, a group of Democrats is expected Wednesday to reintroduce the End Racial Profiling Act in both the House and Senate. 

The End Racial Profiling Act backed by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) would stop police officers from racially profiling not only African Americans, but also Muslims, Sikhs, Arab Americans and other minorities that other find themselves being confronted by police.

“Police can still mention race when giving a description of a suspect,” a Senate Democratic aide told The Hill, “but they can’t say, ‘There’s an African American driving a fancy car. Let’s pull him over.’”

The Department of Justice recently expanded a policy that protects minorities from being racially profiled by federal agents, but the rules do not apply to state and local law enforcement.

The End Racial Profiling Act would encompass all law enforcement across the country.

Civil rights advocates cheered the legislation, pointing out that while African Americans may face unfair “street-level profiling,” Hispanic people are often profiled as illegal immigrants and Arab Americans and Muslims are often profiled as terrorists.

“Racial profiling robs people of their dignity, undermines the integrity of our criminal justice system, and instills fear and distrust among members of targeted communities,” the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights said in a statement.