Home : Racial Justice : Racial Profiling

Federal Judge Rules ACLU of Minnesota Racial Profiling Lawsuit Can Move Forward (07/07/2004)
ST. PAUL--A federal judge has cleared the way for a racial profiling lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota against the Drug Enforcement Administration to move forward by denying most of the government's motion to dismiss the case, the ACLU announced today.

ACLU Washington Director Asks Democratic Committee To Include Strong Stand for Civil Liberties in Party Platform (06/19/2004)
WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union today asked the Democratic Party Platform Committee to include strong language in its 2004 platform to protect and promote civil liberties.

Federal Judge Finds New Mexico Police Violated Legal Agreement from ACLU Racial Bias Lawsuit (06/18/2004)
SANTA FE, NM -- A federal court has found the Hobbs Police Department to be in "substantial non-compliance" with a settlement agreement stemming from a class-action civil rights lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico on behalf of African American residents of Hobbs, the ACLU said today.

ACLU of New Mexico Sues State Police Officer Over Illegal Seizure of Documents (06/10/2004)
SANTA FE, NM --The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico filed a civil rights lawsuit yesterday against New Mexico State Police Officer Mitchell Maestas for illegally confiscating the identification documents of an Española resident, Estrella Rodriguez, whom the officer believed to be an undocumented immigrant. Rodriguez is a U.S. citizen who was born and raised in Española, New Mexico.

Texas Drug Task Force Violates Rights by Engaging in Unnecessary Searches, Racial Profiling, ACLU Charges (05/19/2004)
AUSTIN, TX - The state's federally funded narcotic task forces are performing thousands of baseless searches at traffic stops and engaging in illegal racial profiling, according to a new report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas.

ACLU of Pennsylvania Sues York County Sheriffs Over Racial Profiling of African American State Trooper (05/04/2004)
YORK, PA - The American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania today filed a lawsuit on behalf of an African American state trooper who was the victim of a racial profiling traffic stop by the York County Sheriff's Department.

ACLU Applauds Introduction of 'End Racial Profiling Act' As ACLU Releases Report on Racial Profiling (02/26/2004)
WASHINGTON -- On February 27, 2001, President Bush told a joint session of Congress that racial profiling "is wrong and we will end it in America." Three years later, members of Congress today introduced bipartisan legislation called the "End Racial Profiling Act" to finally achieve the goal ending racial bias in law enforcement.

Rhode Island Judge Dismisses "Driving While Black" Lawsuit Against Westerly Police (02/26/2004)
PROVIDENCE --A federal judge today dismissed a lawsuit the American Civil Liberties Union filed two years ago against the Town of Westerly on behalf of 50-year old African-American Ashaway resident Bernard Flowers, who was stopped in his car and detained at gunpoint by town police. The ACLU had argued that Flowers was a victim of racial profiling.

Racial Profiling In Texas: Report Shows Significant Disparities In Stops And Searches (02/03/2004)
WASHINGTON - Six out of every seven law enforcement agencies in Texas reported searching blacks and Latinos at higher rates than Anglos following a traffic stop, according to a groundbreaking report released today.

Rutgers Law School and ACLU Challenge Denial of Voting Rights in Groundbreaking Lawsuit (01/06/2004)
NEWARK -- The American Civil Liberties Union and the Constitutional Litigation Clinic at Rutgers Law School today filed a groundbreaking lawsuit challenging the denial of voting rights to persons on probation or parole in New Jersey.

ACLU of Rhode Island Opposes Providence's Attempt To Avoid Liability in Racial Profiling Case (01/05/2004)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- In a brief filed before the State Supreme Court today, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island challenged the Providence Police Department's efforts to avoid any financial liability for failing to comply with the state's racial profiling law and with court orders that had found the department in contempt for non-compliance with that law.

ACLU of Rhode Island Responds to City's "Action Plan" On Racial Profiling (11/25/2003)
PROVIDENCE, RI-- In response to the City of Providence's release of an "action plan" to address racial profiling, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island said today that it planned to work with legislators on the introduction of comprehensive legislation to address the issue of racial profiling statewide.

ACLU of Illinois Sues Justice Department and Homeland Security Officials Over Failure to Release Racial Profiling Data (08/13/2003)
CHICAGO -- Calling on the Bush Administration to make a public showing that it is serious about the promise to fight racial profiling, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois today asked a federal court to order the release of data that will help the public determine whether federal law enforcement agencies are engaged in racial profiling.

New State Study Confirms Rampant Racial Profiling in Rhode Island; ACLU, Community Groups Call for "Concrete Action" (07/01/2003)
PROVIDENCE, RI- Responding to a report released today by the state's attorney general confirming that police continue to stop drivers based on their skin color, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island and a coalition of civil rights groups called for concrete action to address the now thoroughly documented problem of racial profiling in the state.

ACLU Says New Justice Department Racial Profiling Policy Lacks Enforcement Tool, Suffers From Huge National Security Loophole (06/17/2003)
WASHINGTON - Calling new racial profiling guidelines released today by the Justice Department little more than rhetorical smoke and mirrors, the American Civil Liberties Union said that it remains critical of Attorney General John Ashcroft for not taking comprehensive and unqualified steps to follow through on his long-standing promise to end profiling in the United States.

ACLU Welcomes Bond Hearing for Tulia 13, Says Reform Still Needed (06/16/2003)
WASHINGTON -- Saying that 13 wrongly convicted individuals swept up in the racially charged Tulia drug scandal are one step closer to vindication, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas both welcomed the release of the men and women at a special bond hearing in Texas and applauded a statement released this afternoon by several prominent Members of Congress expressing solidarity with the Tulia defendants.

ACLU of Ohio and Community Leaders Name Members to Key Boards Set Up Through Landmark Settlement with Police (05/01/2003)
CINCINNATI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio and community leaders here today announced the names of individuals who will serve on a Community Advisory Board and a Community Police Partnering Center Board that were formed through the settlement of a landmark racial profiling lawsuit.

ACLU of West Virginia Marks One Year Anniversary of Racial Profiling Incident by Filing Lawsuit Against Charleston Police (04/30/2003)
CHARLESTON, WV -- The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia today filed a lawsuit against city and law enforcement officials here charging that three African American college students were racially profiled last year as they drove home from a leadership development program.