Racial profiling, to an extent, is necessary for the efforts of homeland security to be effective. Racial profiling is most effective in the sense that officers would be able to easily identify potential foreign criminals and threats to the United States. In present time, our greatest foreign threats come from the drug trade with Mexico, and threats from Middle Eastern extremists. In addition, some may either argue that we live in a so-called “colorblind society”, or that we should adapt all policies to fit such a philosophy.
First and foremost, many Americans realize that there is the issue of immigration and a drug trade with Mexico. U.S. Border Patrol within the States bordering Mexico deal with smugglers on a daily basis, and know who to look for. Now, picture a Mexican man and the average American white male. Anyone can easily make distinctions between the two men. Border Patrol knows who to look for, because most of the drug smugglers are Mexican.
Thus, if racial profiling is used, officers will be able to identify smugglers much more easily. In addition to this, there is also there major issue of immigration with Mexico. Each day, dozens or Mexicans cross the United States-Mexican border illegally various reasons. There have been several news-breaking instances with Mexican immigrants, especially in Arizona, that have been affiliated with racial profiling. In 2010, out of Arizona’s population of approximately 6.6 million people, an estimated amount of 500,000 were said to be illegal immigrants. In order to decrease these numbers, racial profiling would be necessary, so that illegal immigrants do not take up residency in United States territory.
Mexico is not the only foreign threat. There are still threats towards the United States from Middle Eastern extremists. As you may recall, airports have recently begun to search every man, woman, and child for explosives and other sorts of weaponry. Because of these measures, airports are becoming increasingly unpopular. The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) has created policies that slow down airports in order to search everyone. However, many of these threats are made by Middle Eastern extremists, not the average looking American citizen. The TSA does not discriminate, which seems fair, but it severely hinders the efficiency of airports. Most suspects in bombing threats and attempts are either distinctly Middle Eastern or occasionally African.
To conclude, a bit of racial profiling would be necessary to make homeland security more effective. If homeland security would look for Mexicans or Middle Easterners more frequently, daily life could possibly be more convenient for the American citizen, while potential foreign threats and criminals may be dealt with more effectively.