Profiling vs. Pat-downs?

As the United States continues to engage in this debate over security and the violation of privacy, I cannot help but think that many in the U.S. are gaining insight into the routine humiliating and dehumanizing treatment Palestinians face when dealing with the Israeli occupation's checkpoints and security.

Racial profiling is also not the answer. In fact, it is likely to make the problem worse. When I was working for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, the nation's largest grassroots Arab-American organization, we partnered with Yale Law School in a suit against the Department of Homeland Security to release information on a politically intimidating dragnet operation they conducted in 2004 attempting to "detect, deter, and disrupt" terror activities among immigrants in the United States. You can and should read more on that here.

The result of the suit was a release of information from DHS, which was analyzed and revealed that Muslims in the United States were 1,280 times more likely than any other immigrants to be targeted by "Operation Frontline" and that a stunning 79 percent of all targets of the operation were Muslim-Americans (even though the vast majority of immigrants are not Muslim). The government mined databases, like the NSEERS, SEVIS and US-VISIT databases, using profiling to determine targets for the operation. Guess how many national security-related arrests resulted from the operation? Zero. Nada. Not a single one.

Racial profiling is counterproductive because it diverts an already limited amount of resources down a rabbit hole. As this is happening, terrorists, who are often smart enough to study and exploit security tactics, will likely adapt and circumvent racial profiling procedures by utilizing operatives that will get through. By employing profiling, we are underestimating the intelligence and devotion of the people who want to harm this country.

Racial or religious profiling is a lazy, un-American, and flat out irresponsibly dangerous strategy to employ. Despite this, sadly, it is often an attractive political stance to present to electorates who would rather have the government touch a darker-skinned or foreign person's junk than their own.

This article was crossposted at Politico.com in a forum I participate in called Arena.

Share |