Racial profiling is the act of targeting a person for criminal investigation primarily because of racial or ethnic characteristics. This practice is based on an assumption that people of color or ethnic minorities are more likely to commit crimes. This assumption is common among people with racially prejudiced beliefs. However, racial profiling, also known as ethnic profiling, is generally considered to be a violation of the civil rights of minority groups. Charges of racial profiling commonly involve automobile stops by law enforcement officers. But people have also claimed to be targets of racial profiling at other times—for example, while walking on city streets or while shopping in stores or malls.
In the United States, many legal experts regard racial profiling to be a violation of certain constitutional protections, including the prohibition against unreasonable searches and seizures. The U.S. Supreme Court has limited the degree to which police officers may use racial profiles. According to the court, the police must demonstrate that the racial profile, along with other information, justifies a reasonable suspicion that the person is engaged in criminal activity.
In 2001, terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center in New York City and part of the Pentagon Building near Washington, D.C. Because the terrorists involved were believed to be Arab Muslims, the investigation focused on individuals of that background. Many critics argued that U.S. investigators and law enforcement officers engaged in racial profiling in the months following the attack. The U.S. Department of Justice said that it did not tolerate racial profiling against Arab Americans.
See also Racism .
