CAIR to sue border patrol and FBI over detention, questioning practices of Muslims

Published: Thursday, April 12, 2012

SOUTHFIELD -- The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-MI, will hold a news conference Friday to announce the filing of a federal lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI over the repeated detention and questioning of Muslims about their religious beliefs and practices by federal agents at and inside the United States-Canada border.

The press conference will take place 9:30 a.m. outside the Eastern District Federal Courthouse at 231 W. Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit. Executive Director Dawud Walid will be speaking along with Staff Attorney Lena Masri.

News conference participants will include one of the plaintiffs as well as civil rights attorney Shereef Akeel and a representative of Alliance for Immigrants Rights. Akeel is co-counsel with CAIR attorneys on the lawsuit.

CAIR-MI is filing the lawsuit on behalf of four American citizens who reported that CBP and FBI agents detained and handcuffed them without evidence of wrongdoing and questioned them about their religious beliefs and worship habits. The lawsuit asserts that those actions violated the plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights.

"Invasive religious questioning of American citizens without evidence of criminal activity is not only an affront to the Constitution but is also a waste of limited resources," said Walid.

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CAIR to sue border patrol and FBI over detention, questioning practices of Muslims - News - Press and Guide