Several House Democrats are calling on the New York Police Department to purge its intelligence databases of information gleaned from programs aimed at spying on Muslims. And they say the Obama administration has offered only wishy-washy responses to whether it approves of such tactics.
Lawmakers introduced a resolution Thursday calling for an end to NYPD programs that infiltrated mosques and monitored even innocent conversations in cafes and bookstores. Muslim business owners were included in police files, even with no allegations of wrongdoing.
The resolution has little chance of passing but it follows a heated debate in Congress Thursday night over a failed amendment that would have banned racial profiling by any department that receives federal money.
The NYPD says its tactics are lawful and necessary to keep the city safe.
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