FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chuck Samuelson, Executive Director, (651) 645-4097 x121

Saint Paul, Minn - The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota announced today that it is launching a new complaint collection form on their website to collect racial and immigration profiling data.

The ACLU-MN launched this program in this atmosphere of heightened awareness of immigrants to learn more about the existence of racial profiling by law enforcement in Minnesota. This data will illustrate the prevalence, patterns, and characteristics of discriminatory highway stops by state, county and local police departments. The ACLU-MN will use this data for one or more of the following purposes: (1) Legislative testimony, (2) litigation, or (3) telling stories to the media.

The ACLU-MN has received hundred of complaints from people of color and immigrants about incidents of racial profiling. By systematizing the way the ACLU-MN collects complaints they are hoping to be able to analyze the data in a more efficient and useful way. "Fighting for equal justice is what we do," said Charles Samuelson, executive director of the ACLU-MN. "This is another tool to help accomplish that job."

The ACLU-MN is encouraging people of color and immigrants to fill out this complaint form online. When filling out the form, one can request their personal information to be kept confidential.

This form is available online in English &Spanish at www.aclu-mn.org, under the title "Been Profiled?" or "Usted ha sido una victima de segregacion racial?"