BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Rep. William Keating has called for a congressional hearings into allegations of racial profiling by Transportation Security Administration officers at Boston’s Logan International Airport.

The Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement Monday that if a program to flag possible terrorists based on passengers’ mannerisms is skewed by racial profiling, then it is illegal and undercuts its effectiveness.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Lana Jones reports

The New York Times reported Sunday that in interviews and internal complaints it has obtained, more than 30 officers involved in the “behavior detection” program at Logan contend that the operation targets not only Middle Easterners, but also the certain behaviors of Hispanics and blacks.

The TSA said the program at Logan “in no way encourages or tolerates profiling,” but is investigating and will take corrective measures if warranted.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.