Branding himself the “law-and-order candidate,” Donald Trump has vowed to carry out a crackdown on crime and terrorism that would benefit white Americans and racial minorities alike. But an examination of the Republican presidential candidate’s recommendations for policing, terrorism and immigration enforcement reveals a series of policies that civil rights activists and national security veterans fear could have the effect of treating minorities with suspicion and singling them out for heavier government scrutiny, says the New York Times. Trump has intensified the racial and ethnic cast to his policies. On Wednesday, he suggested New York’s discontinued stop-and-frisk policing, widely denounced as racially biased, should be a model for other cities. And he replied to the bombings in New York and New Jersey by calling for aggressive profiling of terrorism suspects and criticized the authorities for showing restraint toward people from “that part of the world.”
Many of the details of Trump’s proposals are sketchy and thus difficult to analyze. But his vague policy prescriptions have stirred concern among some experts in national security and law enforcement, including prominent Republicans who warn that Trump’s agenda could undermine public safety by generating a backlash in communities that the police and intelligence officials rely upon for cooperation. Michael Chertoff, who served as secretary of Homeland Security under President George W. Bush, dismissed Trump’s characterization of law enforcement as hemmed in by political correctness. And he said racial or ethnic profiling is counterproductive.“Not only is it a waste of time, but you’re offending people who in many ways you want to be your allies,” he said, adding, “When you ethnically profile, you play into the hands of the enemy.”
