Task Force urges for passage of End Racial Profiling Act

The Task Force applauds today’s introduction of the “End Racial Profiling Act” by U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.). The measure seeks to prohibit the use of racial profiling by law enforcement.

Co-sponsors include Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey says:

Racial profiling undermines a pivotal principle in our nation’s criminal justice system: An individual is innocent until proven otherwise. Focusing on characteristics, rather than behaviors, to identify suspected wrongdoers is misguided, wasteful and even dangerous to those who are unfairly targeted. This includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people of color, who know all too well how easily it is to be singled out for harassment and persecution as people living at the intersection of racism and anti-LGBT bias. We thank Sen. Ben Cardin for introducing this critical legislation to help end discriminatory racial profiling practices, and urge Congress to swiftly pass the bill.