Controversial legislation that would allow police to use race and ethnicity as a factor when hunting down terror suspects is receiving harsh criticism from some Long Island groups.

The bill, sponsored by Brooklyn Congressman Dov Hikind, was written to give law enforcement more power. Hikind adds that the men responsible for the 9/11 attacks were all Muslim.

Critics say passing the legislation would amount to nothing more than legalizing discrimination. Habeeb Ahmed of the Islamic Center of Long Island, pointed to the case of Timothy McVeigh, who blew up a federal building in Oklahoma. Ahmed said that McVeigh?s actions don?t make every Christian a terrorist. Meanwhile, Jane Paul of Oceanside, whose ex-husband is Syrian, worries that her children could be targeted because they look Middle Eastern.

Both the Suffolk and Nassau police departments say they?re not familiar with the proposed legislation, but reiterated that their department?s don?t engage in racial profiling.