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New lawsuit accuses NYPD of illegally targeting and searching Black and Latino drivers at higher rates

The NYCLU, the Bronx Defenders and the NAACP say Black and Latino drivers are being illegally targeted and searched during routine traffic stops.

Natalie Hernandez

Jan 29, 2026, 5:37 PM

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A new lawsuit accuses the NYPD of running what advocates call “stop-and-frisk on wheels.”

The NYCLU, the Bronx Defenders and the NAACP say Black and Latino drivers are being illegally targeted and searched during routine traffic stops.

The lawsuit claims the NYPD searched more than 28,000 vehicles in 2024, an 83% increase from the year before.

The NYCLU says data shows Black drivers are nearly ten times more likely and Latino drivers six times more likely to have their cars searched than white drivers, and these stops happen most in communities of color — they're calling on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to step in and end the policy.

News 12 reached out to the NYPD for comment. They said the department sends more officers to areas of the city with a high number of crimes and resident complaints, adding that the city had many mechanisms in place to help residents who feel they were targeted or searched unlawfully.

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