In the wake of the Zimmerman verdict, President Obama gave an emotional speech denouncing racial profiling and declaring, “Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.” A few days later, the President told press that New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly – the  man responsible for New York City’s racially divisive Stop and Frisk program – would be “very well qualified” to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

In response, CPD has launched this petition to urge President Obama NOT to appoint Commissioner Kelly to run, among other programs, our nation’s entire immigration system.

Under Commissioner Kelly, New York City’s Stop and Frisk program has seen the number of people stopped rise from 100,000 in 2002 to nearly 700,000 in 2011. Of the individuals detained, questioned, and frisked, almost 90% of them have been Black or Latino. The vast majority of those stopped have been innocent of any crime and less than 2% of these racially-charged stops have recovered any guns.

President Obama’s support of Commissioner Kelly is not only undeserved, it’s insensitive in the wake of the George Zimmerman verdict. We cannot let a man who believes so strongly in racial profiling run our nation’s immigration system.

Please join us in calling on the President NOT to appoint Ray Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Please sign our petition today and urge friends and colleagues to do so as well.