Posted on 11/28/2011 11:39:43 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Democrats in Congress have proposed a new racial profiling ban that could thwart state and local laws on immigration enforcement, such as the controversial Arizona law currently tied up in federal court, by witholding federal funding for state and local law enforcement agencies engaged in "racial profiling" and empowering the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file lawsuits against state and local governments.
Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and lead sponsor Ben Cardin, D-Md., are pushing the End Racial Profiling Act of 2011, which would, among other things, "withhold federal law enforcement funding if local and state governments failed to adopt effective policies that prohibit racial profiling" and "require the Attorney General to report on ongoing discriminatory profiling practices." Those reports could provide the basis for federal lawsuits against the state or local entities, filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) or by individuals who believe they have been racially profiled.
Reid co-sponsored a similar version of the bill in 2004. According to Cardin's office, the newer bill has been updated specifically to reflect concerns about unfair immigration enforcement practices.
The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), which promotes more illegal immigration enforcement and lower levels of legal immigration, warned that the bill, if implemented, could interdict state and local efforts to enforce illegal immigration laws. "This could be used as a club to beat [states with illegal immigration laws] into submission," said FAIR spokesman Ira Mehlman, although he noted that the language "doesn't guarantee that it would be used in this way."
Reid's spokesman described the Arizona law last year as "legalization of racial profiling." Reid has also said he supports the DOJ lawsuit against Arizona regarding SB 1070.
This law updates the 2003 DOJ guidelines against racial profiling to reflect concerns about immigration offenses. For the first time, it would apply to state and local officials, which the current DOJ guidelines do not (although the 14th Amendment does). It contains the following definition of racial profiling:
This Title would ban racial profiling, defined as the practice of a law enforcement agent or agency relying, to any degree, on race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin in selecting which individuals to subject to routine or spontaneous investigatory activities, or in deciding upon the scope and substance of law enforcement activity following the initial investigatory procedure, except when there is trustworthy information, relevant to the locality or and time frame, that links persons of a particular race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin to an identified criminal incident , or scheme, or [organization].
In keeping with that provision, the law identifies an array of situations in which racial profiling would be prohibited, "includ[ing]: interviews; traffic and pedestrian stops; frisks and other types of body searches; consensual or nonconsensual searches of the persons or possessions (including vehicles) of individuals using any form of public or private transportation, including motorists and pedestrians."
Arizona's anti-illegal immigration law, SB 1070, calls for the state to enforce federal illegal immigration laws and empowers local police to check the immigration status of people encountered in the course of law enforcement activities, provided that "reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States."
Given the possibility that Reid and Cardin's bill could thwart high-profile efforts to mitigate illegal immigration, the vote on the legislation puts illegal immigration hawks in the Republican Party in an uncomfortable position. Either they vote for the law at the potential expense of allies in state government, or they risk the negative publicity that would come from voting against a ban on racial profiling during a presidential election cycle.
FUHR!
I’ll cook one of my boots and eat it. Their arrogance is amazing.
Block federal aid to sanctuary cities and in-state tuition rates for illegals and see how far it goes
Illegals come in ALL races and hues, done properly there would be no ‘Racial Profiling” involved in enforcing our immigration laws.
I’ve known Mexicans who were whiter than me, worked alongside white South African illegals, French illegals, Scottish Illegals, etc.
Chinese and Russian illegals are numerous, neither is Mexican, but no doubt Pinky Reid would find a way to claim profiling anyway.
Pinky and the D’s bottom line is to prevent enforcement of all immigration law, they want to destroy America as quickly as possible.
Or more accurately, the Gin Up The 2012 Democrat Base Act of 2011.
Hispanics are not a separate race of people, regardless of what the leftist Dems and LaRaza want you to blieve.
Hispanics are counted as Caucasians in the census data because of their European roots. They are not a separate race beyond the Negroid, Caucasoid and Mongoloid.
Any stupid law suits or proposed Legislative bills should be easily dispensed by presenting facts of nature that are proven.
So is Reid going to end racial profiling for school and job applications?
I thought not...
There would be no reason for Reid’s new bill unless he felt the court challenges of the state laws will eventually fail.
ok, that plus for propaganda purposes at election time.
muslim isn’t a race either yet they use the same arguments.
It would be a hoot if in his haste he did!
Yes, and states can refuse to remit taxes to Versailles on the Potomac.
It has no chance of passing. Therefore it’s just pandering to the pro-illegal portion of the Hispanic vote.
Payback for his re-election.
Reid bill on a fast track to nowhere. =.=
That Nevada vote-rigging machine worked like a charm to reelect the corrupt little pip-squeak.
Illegals voting multiple times using different identities also helped.
Click the keyword Aliens to see more illegal alien, border security, and other related threads.
There is NO good reason why Republicans lost that race. It was nearly unlosable in that state, but Angle managed to pull it off.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.