American Arab Anti Discrimination Committee

ADC has consistently monitored and denounced racial profiling of Arabs and Arab Americans at airports since FAA mandated profiling began in 1996. ADC has repeatedly submitted the overwhelming evidence of the discriminatory nature of profiling to the government, particularly the Departments of Transportation and Justice. As a result, the Department of Transportation (DOT) set aside $1.5 million for a survey to determine to what extent Arab Americans are being disproportionately singled out at airports. For the past year, ADC has been working with the DOT to design and implement this study.

The Department of Transportation is now in its final stages of the study and has now begun a three-week survey at Detroit Metro International Airport to determine whether Arab Americans and other minority groups are singled out for additional searches of their baggage. The study will survey approximately three international flights between Detroit and Amsterdam each day. An estimated seven or eight domestic flights will be surveyed between Detroit and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Detroit and New York Laguardia Airport. The surveys will be distributed at the gate areas and a letter explaining the purpose of the study will be attached.

In an article in the Detroit News, "U.S. looks for profiling at Metro, Feds to amass security data from Northwest to explore complaints from Arab American," in which U.S. Transportation Secretary, Norman Maneta, expressed his views on airline profiling by stating, "Safety is the Department of Transportation's highest priority, and routine security measures are necessary to protect the flying public against possible terrorist attacks. But we must also protect the civil rights of airline passengers." He continued, "While the security procedures are not based on the race, ethnicity, religion or gender of passengers, we also want to assure that in practice, the system does not disproportionately select members of any particular minority group."

The article also quotes ADC Michigan Regional Director Imad Hamad as sayingthat "Airline profiling continues to be a challenge for the Arab-American community, we have been witnessing a lot of complaints, and it has been alarming." The article can be read online at <http://detnews.com/2001/metro/0106/05/d01-232428.htm>.

ADC urges all those traveling from Detroit within the coming three weeks to cooperate with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the DOT and fill out the questionnaires and surveys for the study. Cooperation from the Arab-American community and minorities is vital for the study's success. ADC also recently issued a Travel Advisory for Arab Americans who will be traveling this summer, asking that all profiling incidents be reported to the ADC Legal Department, so that we can continue to combat profiling and monitoring its effects on the Arab-American community.

	6,June, 2001
	Airline Profiling Study Begins This Week

	ADC has consistently monitored and denounced racial profiling of Arabs and Arab Americans at airports since FAA mandated profiling began in 1996. ADC has repeatedly submitted the overwhelming evidence of the discriminatory nature of profiling to the government, particularly the Departments of Transportation and Justice. As a result, the Department of Transportation (DOT) set aside $1.5 million for a survey to determine to what extent Arab Americans are being disproportionately singled out at airports. For the past year, ADC has been working with the DOT to design and implement this study. The Department of Transportation is now in its final stages of the study and has now begun a three-week survey at Detroit Metro International Airport to determine whether Arab Americans and other minority groups are singled out for additional searches of their baggage. The study will survey approximately three international flights between Detroit and Amsterdam each day. An estimated seven or eight domestic flights will be surveyed between Detroit and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Detroit and New York Laguardia Airport. The surveys will be distributed at the gate areas and a letter explaining the purpose of the study will be attached. In an article in the Detroit News, "U.S. looks for profiling at Metro, Feds to amass security data from Northwest to explore complaints from Arab American," in which U.S. Transportation Secretary, Norman Maneta, expressed his views on airline profiling by stating, "Safety is the Department of Transportation's highest priority, and routine security measures are necessary to protect the flying public against possible terrorist attacks. But we must also protect the civil rights of airline passengers." He continued, "While the security procedures are not based on the race, ethnicity, religion or gender of passengers, we also want to assure that in practice, the system does not disproportionately select members of any particular minority group." The article also quotes ADC Michigan Regional Director Imad Hamad as sayingthat "Airline profiling continues to be a challenge for the Arab-American community, we have been witnessing a lot of complaints, and it has been alarming." The article can be read online at <http://detnews.com/2001/metro/0106/05/d01-232428.htm>. ADC urges all those traveling from Detroit within the coming three weeks to cooperate with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the DOT and fill out the questionnaires and surveys for the study. Cooperation from the Arab-American community and minorities is vital for the study's success. ADC also recently issued a Travel Advisory for Arab Americans who will be traveling this summer, asking that all profiling incidents be reported to the ADC Legal Department, so that we can continue to combat profiling and monitoring its effects on the Arab-American community.