[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 651 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 651

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
   illicit ethnic and religious profiling and surveillance of Muslim 
        American communities by the New York Police Department.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 10, 2012

   Mr. Holt (for himself, Ms. Chu, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. 
Jackson of Illinois, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Honda, and Mr. Moran) submitted 
 the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
   illicit ethnic and religious profiling and surveillance of Muslim 
        American communities by the New York Police Department.

Whereas the First Amendment of the Constitution ensures freedom of speech, 
        religion, and assembly;
Whereas the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution protects from unreasonable 
        searches and seizures;
Whereas the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the equal 
        protection of the laws to all people regardless of their religion, race, 
        ethnicity, or national origin;
Whereas, in August 2011, press reports revealed the New York City Police 
        Department engaged in extensive surveillance and investigation of 
        individuals and groups in the Muslim community based upon their 
        religion, race, ethnicity, and national origin, and without a 
        reasonable, articulable basis to suspect that the individual or group 
        has engaged in or is about to engage in unlawful conduct;
Whereas the New York City Police Department engaged in unreasonable, suspicion-
        less surveillance and investigations of mosques, college campuses, 
        restaurants, businesses, and individuals without evidence of wrongdoing 
        or criminality;
Whereas the New York City Police Department documented and retained information 
        about the First Amendment-protected activities of individuals and groups 
        surveyed or investigated in these intelligence operations;
Whereas according to these reports and information now made available to the 
        public, the New York City Police Department conducted operations well 
        beyond its jurisdiction in other municipalities in New York and other 
        States, including Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and which 
        may be ongoing;
Whereas the unreasonable suspicion-less surveillance and investigation of Muslim 
        American communities undermines the Nation's commitment to religious 
        liberty and equal protection of the law;
Whereas these unreasonable suspicion-less surveillance practices stigmatize 
        innocent members of the Muslim community merely because of their 
        religion;
Whereas the Central Intelligence Agency has publicly acknowledged that it had 
        personnel assisting and training New York City Police Department 
        officers who subsequently engaged in surveillance and investigation of 
        Muslim Americans in the absence of suspicion of illegal activity;
Whereas this episode recalls other dark chapters in the Nation's history, 
        including the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, and 
        the illegal surveillance of civil rights and anti-war activists by 
        intelligence and law enforcement agencies during the 1960s and 1970s;
Whereas Congress has allocated millions of dollars to the New York City Police 
        Department;
Whereas, in December 2011, 34 Members of Congress wrote the Attorney General 
        requesting an investigation of potential violations of the law by the 
        New York City Police Department and Central Intelligence Agency, and 
        also requested a hearing by the House Committee on the Judiciary into 
        this issue; and
Whereas, on March 19, 2012, 117 groups representing a range of concerned 
        citizens likewise called upon the Department of Justice to launch an 
        investigation into the New York City Police Department's illicit ethnic 
        and religious profiling and surveillance of Muslim American communities: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the unjustified surveillance and unlawful 
        profiling of Muslim American communities by the New York Police 
        Department;
            (2) demands that the New York Police Department cease and 
        desist with any such warrantless surveillance activities within 
        the United States and purge its intelligence databases; and
            (3) urges the Department of Justice to immediately 
        investigate whether the New York Police Department's action 
        violated the Constitution or any Federal law, and whether any 
        agency of the Federal Government facilitated any profiling or 
        surveillance conducted by the New York Police Department 
        against members of the Muslim American community in violation 
        of the Constitution or any Federal law.
                                 <all>