SALDEF Encourages You to TAKE ACTION and Support the End Racial Profiling Act! 
The End Racial Profiling Act (ERPA) was introduced to the Senate on October, 6, 2011. Send a message to your Senators urging them to co-sponsor this historic piece of legislation or thanking them if they have already expressed support. This landmark legislation aims to eliminate racial and religious profiling that has singled out various minority communities, including Sikh Americans, in the United States. Racial profiling is a law enforcement tactic where individuals are treated as suspects based on characteristics unrelated to criminal conduct – such as race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, and perceived immigration status. Not only is it wrong, profiling is ineffective. It diverts limited law enforcement resources away from focusing on individualized suspicious behavior by relying on race- or religion-based profiles. It diminishes trust between law enforcement and affected communities making individuals hesitant to reach out to police in times of need. It also violates the fundamental civil rights of communities by treating them differently than other Americans. The End Racial Profiling Act prohibits law enforcement agents and agencies from engaging in racial profiling. Take Action: Tell your Senators to Support the End Racial Profiling Act! Since September 11, 2001, Sikh Americans have become all too familiar with instances of racial profiling by the United States government. The most prevalent example is the additional security screening of Sikh American travelers at airports because of their turbans. In addition, the broader South Asian, Muslim, and Arab communities living in the United States have all been targeted for heightened scrutiny by law enforcement based on their religion, ethnicity, national origin, or nationality. Examples include frequent searches by airport security and border inspection officers, as well as targeted surveillance of South Asian places of worship by federal and local law enforcement. The practice of racial profiling is demeaning and contrary to the constitutional guarantee of equality under the law. The passage of this act will be an important step to bringing an end to this practice. TAKE ACTION NOW! To learn more about ERPA Click Here!
