ADC Welcomes Introduction of End Racial Profiling Act

ADC Welcomes Introduction of End Racial Profiling Act

Washington, DC | www.adc.org | July 16, 2010 - The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) welcomes the introduction of H.R. 5748, End Racial Profiling Act of 2010 (ERPA). House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.) and Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the bill on July 15, the bill currently has nearly 60 co-sponsors. ADC supports the introduction and passage of ERPA and thanks Chairman Conyers and Congressman Nadler for introducing the legislation. ADC, along with its coalition partners, has been working towards such legislation for the past decade.

The legislation will result in eliminating profiling based on race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. As the Nation's largest Arab American civil rights organization ADC has been addressing issues pertaining to racial profiling for over 30 years. ADC believes that profiling based on race, religion, ethnicity, or national origin is ineffective. It diverts resources from the proper means of ensuring safety and national security and undermines the relationship between community members and law enforcement agencies. Prior ADC publications have outlined the profound negative impact of racial profiling on the Arab American community. These publications can be read by clicking here.

In the official statement from the House Judiciary Committee, it was outlined that the proposed legislation will do the following:
• Establish a prohibition on racial profiling, enforceable by declaratory or injunctive relief.
• Mandate training on racial profiling issues and the collection of data on both routine and spontaneous investigatory activities, as a condition of receiving Federal law enforcement funding.
• Authorize the Justice Department to provide grants for the development and implementation of best policing practices, such as early warning systems, technology integration, and other management protocols that discourage profiling.
• Require the Attorney General to provide periodic reports to assess the nature of any ongoing discriminatory profiling practices.
In his speech during the introduction of the bill the Honorable Chairman Conyers said, "Decades ago, this country made clear through the passage of sweeping civil rights legislation that race should not affect the treatment of individual Americans under the law. When law-abiding citizens are treated differently by those who enforce the law simply because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, they are denied the basic respect and equal treatment that is the right of every American. With the cooperation of the administration, we have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive approach to eliminating the practice of racial profiling. I hope that we do not miss this historic opportunity to heal the rift caused by racial profiling and restore much of the community's confidence in law enforcement." The full text of the speech can be found here.

ADC will continue to work with its coalition partners to ensure that the proposed ERPA legislation is voted for favorably by Congressional Members. ADC will continue to send updates tracking the legislation.

If you or someone you know is a victim of racial profiling or discrimination please contact the ADC Legal Department at 202-244-2990, or via e-mail to legal@adc.org. The services of the ADC Legal Department are offered on a pro bono basis.


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Contact: legal@adc.org
202-244-2990

NOTE TO EDITORS: The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), which is non-profit, non-sectarian and non-partisan, is the largest Arab-American civil rights organization in the United States. It was founded in 1980 by former Senator James Abourezk to protect the civil rights of people of Arab descent in the United States and to promote the cultural heritage of the Arabs. ADC has 38 chapters nationwide, including chapters in every major city in the country, and members in all 50 states.

The ADC Research Institute (ADC-RI), which was founded in 1981, is a Section 501(c)(3) educational organization that sponsors a wide range of programs on behalf of Arab Americans and of importance to all Americans. ADC-RI programs include research studies, seminars, conferences and publications that document and analyze the discrimination faced by Arab Americans in the workplace, schools, media, and governmental agencies and institutions. ADC-RI also celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Arabs.