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Chicago-area woman says TSA racially profiled her and searched her braids

CHICAGO, IL –A northwest suburban woman says she may sue the Transportation Security Administration for racially profiling her, according to a report by W...
WGN story

CHICAGO, IL --A northwest suburban woman says she may sue the Transportation Security Administration for racially profiling her, according to a report by WGN.

The woman, Karen Scruggs, said she was at the O'Hare Airport on Saturday, March 26, 2016 when TSA personnel stopped her and wanted to go through the braids in her hair, according to the report.   She said a glove she was wearing was tested in an explosive detector and it went off.

According to the report, Scruggs said she was taken into a room where she was questioned and searched. While this was going on, she said the agents treated her poorly and told her to shut up.

The search ended up yielding no explosives, the report said. Agents then apologized and she was allowed to go to her flight.

While Scruggs said she does understand the purpose of heightened security, she believes it went beyond necessity, WGN reported. She said extra searches happen to her repeatedly.

According to WGN's report, a spokesperson from the TSA said the agency doesn't tolerate racial profiling and the Department of Homeland Security does not stand for it.

In the Guidance Regarding the Use of Race by Federal Law Enforcement Agencies developed by the U.S. Department of Justice, it says that according to the Constitution, law enforcement decisions cannot be based on race. There seems to be some leniency, however, when officers are protecting national security.

The document says:

"Given the incalculably high stakes involved in such investigations, however, Federal law enforcement officers who are protecting national security or preventing catastrophic events (as well as airport security screeners) may consider race, ethnicity, and other relevant factors to the extent permitted by our laws and the Constitution."

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