Racial profiling, also called ethnic profiling, is a discriminatory practice by law enforcement officials. In racial profiling, law enforcement officials target individuals as suspects in a crime based on the individual’s race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
For example, a police department might use race to determine who to stop for minor traffic offenses or jaywalking. Racial profiling is at play when immigration enforcement officials target Asian, Middle Eastern, or Muslim immigrants for detention without any evidence that these individuals have committed crimes.
The courts don’t consider a traffic stop to be racial profiling if police have probable cause to make the stop. It is also not considered racial profiling if the person fits a complete description of a crime suspect, such as “Hispanic male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, wearing blue jeans and a red T-shirt and high-top red Nike sneakers.”
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