Some Somali Natives Say They're Being Harassed, Profiled
The local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is calling upon San Diego police and the FBI to open their records after complaints of harassment and profiling from the Somali community.
More than a year ago, Ifrah Elmi's friend, a Somali native living in San Diego, received a visit from law enforcement.
"They were pointing weapons at family members. They took all the women outside in nightclothes," said Elmi.
Elmi said the home was searched but no arrests were made. Several women, who are accustomed to wearing a religious head covering, waited for hours without wearing the head covering.
"It's something that's humiliating for them," said Elmi.
Since 2008, the ACLU said they received dozens of complaints from local Somalis who spoke of unwarranted home raids and door-to-door questioning of Somali families. Some Somalis were asked to become informants in terror probes under threat of deportation.
"Our fear is that the Somali community is being subject to ethnic and religious profiling," said Sean Riordan, the staff attorney for the local ACLU.
"Our community is in a constant state of fear and uncertainty," said Elmi.
The uncertainty stems from two federal cases in the past year involving Somalis in San Diego, including the imam of a City Heights-area mosque who was accused of funneling funds to terrorist groups. Those cases required investigative work.
"Couldn't all these examples be part of credible investigations?" asked 10News reporter Michael Chen.
"They might be," said Riordan.
On Wednesday, the ACLU sent letters requesting police and the FBI to open their records to reveal what is truly happening.
Elmi hopes the records do not reveal that Somalis are being targeted just as they were in the homeland.
"It brings back bad feelings. It comes from a bad place," said Elmi.
10News forwarded the records request to San Diego police and the FBI. Both declined to comment. If they don't agree to open their records, the ACLU will likely file a lawsuit asking a judge to do it.
Source: 10News.com
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