Profiling of Arab Americans at U.S. Airports

It used to be simple: pack the bags; cab to the airport; check the luggage; board the plane; fly to destination. If flying domestically, a passenger could arrive less than an hour prior to take-off and easily have time to enjoy an in-seat cocktail before even heading to the tarmac. In the post-9/11 world in which Americans now find themselves, however, it is not so simple anymore. But has airport security gone too far in the other direction? Have airport security officials become engaged in racial profiling in the name of homeland security?

For travelers of Arab descent attempting to travel in and around the United States, the answer is clearly yes: racial profiling by airport security is a real problem. Despite federal regulations against it, the settlement of ethnic profiling lawsuits by major airlines, the apparent practice of profiling by U.S. Customs agents against Arabs of varying origins, and even against Arab Americans with impeccable backgrounds are all proof that racial profiling exists in the airline industry and that it is a real problem facing airport security officials in their attempt to make America a safer place to be.

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Category: Government - P