Congress urged to ban racial profiling

Amnesty International USA and a group of local civil rights leaders urged Congress on Monday to ban racial profiling, saying the practice has increased since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The group, speaking at Dallas City Hall, cited a new Amnesty International USA report on racial profiling. The yearlong study found that the practice is common and that state and federal efforts to stop it -- including those in Texas -- are inadequate. "Despite the severity of the problem and its detrimental ramifications, no jurisdiction in the U.S. has addressed the problem of racial profiling in a way that is both comprehensive and effective," said Chip Pitts, board chairman of Amnesty International USA.According to the study, which also cites testimony from a November public forum in Dallas, researchers estimate that 32 million people have been victims of racial profiling across the county, including more than 3 million in Texas. [more ]