Racial profiling is defined as the use of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or national origin by law enforcement agents as a factor in deciding whom to investigate, arrest or detain absent evidence of a specific crime or criminal behavior. In order to create a solution for racial profiling, it must be addressed, not just in certain situations, but as a whole. Racial profiling is quite different from criminal profiling due to fact that no evidence is necessary. It is an unfair and spiteful tool used to judge a person. Eric holder, the 82nd attorney general of the United States, once said, “I don't want to talk about whether or not racial profiling is legal. Racial profiling is not an effective law enforcement tool.”
Although racial profiling was definitely brought to light in the 1980s when news of African Americans being pulled over for “driving while black” made national
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After the devastating attack on September 11 2001, people who are Arab or Muslim have found themselves frequently being singled out for secondary searches and interrogations when entering or exiting the country. People such as Hasan Elahi, an associate professor at the university of Maryland who was tracked for months with no evidence supporting this invasion of privacy, have found themselves under surveillance solely because of their nationality and religion even though they have no relationship to the attacks on September 11 2001. Advocates of racial profiling argue that it helps prevent crime. The idea is that through the use of race as a filter, law enforcement can arrest criminals before a crime is committed, thereby curtailing the rise of criminal activities. Crime statistics are used to justify the races profiled and also gives supporters the satisfaction of saying they are not