new aclu report on racial profiling

According to a new report from the American Civil Liberties Union, profiling is still alive and well in the United States. Authorities detain thousands of people each year solely on the basis of religion, race or nationality: Racial profiling of minorities persists in U.S.

Not surprisingly, the report said racial profiling was often applied to immigrants from South Asia and to North Africans suspected of being Islamic militants following the September 11, 2001 attacks carried out by al Qaeda militants.

The report, submitted to the U.N. Committee to End Racial Discrimination, said profiling could involve harassment, detention, arrest or investigation.

According to 2003 federal guidelines, it's illegal to detain or investigate someone solely on the basis of race, religion or ethnicity, but there are apparently gray areas in the context of national security and border control.

While the government and senior law enforcement officials say they're aware of and against the problem of profiling, nobody seems to be taking any concrete steps to stop it. More here: New Report From ACLU and RWG Finds Racial Profiling Still Pervasive.