WASHINGTON–South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) applauded the recent filing of the End Racial Profiling Act of 2010 (H.R.5748) by Rep. John Conyers (D, MI) and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D, NY).

The proposed legislation in the 111th Congress aims to eliminate ongoing and historical racial and religious profiling that has singled out various minority communities in the U.S.

SAALT Executive Director Deepa Iyer said: “Like African American and Latino community members long affected by profiling, South Asians have become all too familiar with the pernicious effects of these practices. Not only does it waste limited government resources by misdirecting scrutiny to innocent individuals, it also seriously erodes trust between law enforcement agencies and our communities.”

“It is past time to outlaw the practice and ensure that targeted individuals can pursue justice,” she stressed. “South Asians have a vital stake in the passage of the End Racial Profiling Act and we encourage community members to urge members of Congress to support this legislation.”

SAALT said that since the September 11 tragedy, South Asian, Muslim, Sikh and Arab communities have been targeted for heightened scrutiny by law enforcement based on their religion, national origin or nationality.

It said examples frequent searches by airport security and border inspection officers, mandatory registration of certain male nationals from predominantly Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, under the National Security Entry Exit Registration System (NSEERS) program, and targeted surveillance of South Asian places of worship.

SAALT denounces the use of racial and religious profiling in all its forms. The bill will address the issue of profiling by prohibiting various forms of the practice; requiring training and data collection on profiling for entities receiving federal law enforcement funding; supporting law enforcement initiatives that do not result in profiling; establishing complaint mechanisms; and allowing affected individuals to file lawsuits to seek redress.

South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) is a national, nonpartisan, non-profit organization. It is the coordinating entity of the National Coalition of South Asian Organizations (NCSO), a network of 39 organizations that serve, organize, and advocate on behalf of the South Asian community across the country. For more information, contact SAALT at (301) 270-1855.