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The federal government is taking broad new steps to ban profiling by law enforcement agencies, bolstering a 2003 policy that previously only addressed the consideration of race and ethnicity in conducting federal investigations, according to a statement released Monday by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder (pictured).

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The new policy bans federal law enforcement officers from using race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity to any degree, unless listed characteristics apply to a suspect description, the statement says.

As attorney general, I have repeatedly made clear that profiling by law enforcement is not only wrong, it is profoundly misguided and ineffective, Holder states. Particularly in light of certain recent incidents weve seen at the local level, and the widespread concerns about trust in the criminal justice process, its imperative that we take every possible action to institute strong and sound policing practices.

But the policies do not extend to state and local governments, where racial profiling runs deep and wide and is presently under intense global scrutiny. The spotlight comes in the aftermath of high-profile police-involved deaths of unarmed Black men and children, including Eric Garner in New York City, Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio. The hope is that the measure will serve as a road map for state and local governments.

With this new guidance, we take a major and important step forward to ensure effective policing by federal law enforcement officials and state and local law enforcement participating in federal task forces throughout the nation, Holder says in the statement. This guidance codifies important new protections for those who come into contact with federal law enforcement agents. And it brings enhanced training, oversight, and accountability to federal law enforcement across the country, so that isolated acts of discrimination do not tarnish the exemplary work thats performed by the overwhelming majority of Americas hard-working law enforcement officials each and every day.

Federal officers may consider race, ethnicity and other characteristics based only on trustworthy information, relevant to the locality or timeframe, that links individuals with a listed characteristic to a particular criminal incident, criminal scheme, organization, a threat to national or homeland security, a violation of federal immigration law or an authorized intelligence activity, the statement says.

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Eric Holder Curbs Racial Profiling By Federal Agents ...

Meeting with city leaders, community organizers and regional law enforcement Friday in Chicago, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder sought to take a step to repair the tense relationship between officers and the communities they serve.

Following the deaths of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City, as well as widespread protests over those deaths, Holder said government leaders must reckon with a breakdown in trust between the community and police.

"We have to try to come up with ways to deal with that issue," Holder said as the meeting began. "I think the way to deal with those issues is to confront them head-on, to have meetings like this."

Holder's appearance was part of a six-city tour to address unrest about police tactics. He met with U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon and Mayor Rahm Emanuel, among others. The roundtable discussion was an hourlong, closed-door session.

But guests who attended said Holder wanted to listen to the young black and Latino students who walk the streets and encounter the police.

Maurice Sanders, 16, a student at Fenger High School, told Holder that because he stands more than 6 feet tall and has a hefty build, police often mistake him for an adult.

"I've been stopped four or five times," he said. "I don't know if it's because they see me as a threat, because of what I'm wearing."

He said he had also had good experiences with police.

"One time I was in Radio Shack trying to buy a music player," he said. "I didn't have enough money. The cop paid it for me."

Holder's visit comes during a wave of national and international protests as residents, activists and community leaders have taken to the streets to draw attention to what they say is a pattern of police abuse, mainly against African-Americans. The deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Ferguson have been the sparks for most of the protests.

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Eric Holder visits Chicago to discuss police tactics in U.S.

CHICAGO (WLS) --

The Chicago stop on Holder's national tour is to show White House concern for what many say are deteriorating relations in African American communities around the country with their local police departments.

"Our nation is facing some critical times," Holder said. "We have to ask ourselves some fundamental questions about the lack of trust that exists between some communities and the law enforcement officers who serve those communities."

The nation's top law enforcement officer sat beside his old friend from Washington, Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Holder's wife, an obstetrician, actually delivered one of Emanuel's daughters.

"We have White House ties, we have White House battles, but this is one of my guys," Holder said.

U.S. Attorney Zach Fardon hosted the meeting at the Federal Building in downtown Chicago. Among the invited guests were ministers and community activists, as well as Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez.

"This is about trust, first and foremost, and building that," Emanuel said. "It's 24/7, seven days a week, 365 days a year effort."

Meeting participants acknowledged worsening relations between police and many in the African-American community during the national controversy surrounding the deaths of Eric Garner in New York and Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The police officers involved in those cases were not indicted.

Holder's tour is part of a White House strategy to begin a national conversation on the issue.

The invited guests were predominantly African-American. They talked about the worsening relationship between police and their community in Chicago a city with a sordid history of wrongful arrests and convictions, even torture of black men.

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AG Eric Holder in Chicago to address community trust issues

CHICAGO| Attorney General Eric Holder says the nation is facing "critical times" when it comes to the lack of trust that exists between some communities and law enforcement.

Holder stopped in Chicago on Friday for a discussion with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy and community leaders.

Holder says the solution is confronting the issue and both sides need to understand each other.

The meeting is part of an effort launched by President Barack Obama after clashes between protesters and police in Ferguson, Mo.

Holder spoke briefly before the closed-door discussion. Attendees included the Rev. Michael Pfleger, of Chicago.

The meeting follows a similar one in Atlanta, where Holder said the Justice Department would release guidance aimed at ending racial profiling. Others were held in Cleveland and Memphis, Tenn.

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Holder meets with police, local leaders in Chicago

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder won't compel The New York Times' James Risen, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, to name his confidential source on CIA operations intended to prevent Iran from building its nuclear program.

It's the conclusion of a standoff that has lasted for years, as NPR's David Folkenflik reported for our Newscast unit. It began in 2006, David reports, when "Risen's book State of War revealed the CIA had botched a scheme to feed the Iranians faulty material on how to refine nuclear fuel for weapons."

After that, "federal officials called for investigations, and Risen received his first of three subpoenas to compel him to disclose his source."

Risen, who shared a Pulitzer Prize for revealing the scope of the NSA's warrentless wiretapping program in 2005, refused, and risked jail as a result.

In June, however, Holder insisted that Risen wouldn't face jail time, saying, "As long as I'm attorney general, no reporter who is doing his job is going to go to jail."

Holder's decision not to compel Risen to reveal his source was first reported by NBC News. Risen's attorney had no comment, saying he has not received any formal word from the Justice Department about the decision.

Follow David Folkenflik on Twitter for more on this story.

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NYT Journalist James Risen Won't Be Forced To Reveal His Source