New York University's Center for Human Rights and Global Justice today issued a 63-page report charging that the U.S. government is illegally delaying the naturalization applications of thousands of Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern and South Asian immigrants by profiling them and subjecting them to indefinite security checks. (Press Release). Much of the delay is caused by the government's name check process. The report concludes that relying on names and national origins as proxies for security risk is both over- and under-inclusive, does not yield timely or accurate information, diverts law enforcement resources, and legitimizes prejudice of the general public.
The full report, titled Americans on Hold: Profiling, Citizenship, and the "War on Terror" , as well as a 12-page summary briefing paper, and a one-page summary in Arabic are available online. Podcasts of interviews relating to the reports are also available (Segment 1; 2; 4; 5; 6.)
