CBC Members Urge Transportation Secretary Buttigieg To Reform Racist Traffic Stops

Many members of the Congressional Black Caucus have drawn up a statement urging the Department of Transportation to reform the “unjust and discriminatory status quo” of traffic enforcement.

Twenty-seven members of the CBC, including Democratic Reps. Cori Bush (Mo.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Jamaal Bowman (N.Y.), and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) sent a letter addressed to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, expressing “grave concern for the wellbeing of Black drivers.”

According to The Hill, the inequality in how Black drivers, who are less likely to have access to a vehicle but almost twice as likely to be stopped for a traffic violation, has become national news as these run-ins with law enforcement have turned deadly.

“On our nation’s roads and highways, Black motorists have experienced disproportionate scrutiny and excessive force under the guise of traffic enforcement. As Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), we urge you to condemn the status quo of traffic enforcement and develop reforms to reduce racial inequities in traffic stops,” the lawmakers said in the letter.

They also highlighted how racial profiling significantly affects how and with whom traffic violations are enforced. “For example, the use of racial profiling causes Black drivers to be intentionally stopped for minor traffic violations as pretexts for police to question them and search their vehicles in hopes of discovering contraband….,” they said. “Instead, racist traffic enforcement stigmatizes Black people and undermines DOT’s focus on transit equity.”

The problem is more than just a racial issue and is rooted in how officers are trained to respond to aggressive situations. In 2022, more than 175 people were killed after being pulled over for a traffic violation—a staggering number considering that these are the more minor and usually non-violent interactions between civilians and law enforcement. It is no wonder why the CBC has increased concerns about what this means for Black drivers. “Historians have traced the roots of policing Black mobility and physical freedom to our nation’s legacy of slavery and bondage of Black bodies,” reads the letter.

The CBC hopes that Buttigieg, who has often taken a liberal approach to equality issues, will prioritize this under his leadership. “It is critical that the Department of Transportation recognizes the social context of traffic enforcement disparities and identifies solutions to redress the harms,” the letter said.