Since the 9/11 attacks, members of American minority groups have often been unfairly targeted by the federal government. This discrimination against Arab, Middle-Eastern, Muslim or other minority individuals has been performed quietly, and alarmingly, is becoming more and more routine and “acceptable.” This discrimination is often disguised behind seemingly neutral policies aimed at preventing terrorism or “homegrown terrorism” and can take the form of racial profiling, blacklisting, using “immigration” as a pretext for sprawling, undefined investigations, unjustified surveillance, and placement on secret watch lists.
In addition to discrimination based on race or ethnicity, the past decade has seen numerous acts of discrimination against individuals for engagement in First Amendment-protected activities of speech and association– such as peace or anti-death penalty activists whose organizations were secretly and unjustifiably infiltrated by undercover intelligence officers, and whose members were subsequently put on “terrorist watch” lists.
It is important that we identify discrimination even when it is hidden behind apparently legitimate government interests so that minority citizens, who often unfairly have a lesser voice in our democracy, are adequately protected against violations of their privacy rights and civil liberties. GAP works to unmask discrimination and ensure that the government’s homeland security policies do not target groups or individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity, religious or First Amendment-protected activities. Ranging from acting as a watchdog for the relevant agency policies, to raising media awareness regarding violations on a constitutional level, the goal of eliminating politically-motivated discrimination permeates GAP’s advocacy on all homeland security issues.
