Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Terrorist Screening Center
On October 3, 2014, the Arab-American Civil Rights League (ACRL) filed a class action lawsuit against the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Terrorist Screening Center. This lawsuit is in direct response to the continued unconstitutional government action of preventing Arab-Americans from flying and/or subjecting them to continued harassment at US airports.
Everyday, thousands of Arab-Americans are continually and unconstitutionally prevented from their right to travel. This unlawful conduct affects thousands of Arab-Americans each year, especially those residing in the metro-Detroit area. In a recently leaked document from the National Counterterrorism Center, Dearborn, Michigan, home to the largest concentration of Arabs in the US was named as having the second-highest concentration of “known or suspected terrorists”. Dearborn was only surpassed by New York City, a city whose population is nearly 100 times greater than that of Dearborn. Such a correlation is not a mere coincidence, but an indication of unwarranted and unjust scrutiny that is being placed upon Arab-Americans.
The injustice being applied by the government through its No-Fly List and Terrorist Watch Lists continue despite it being clear that the system in place is failing. The only available redress for affected travelers is to file a complaint though the DHS0TRIP process. However, this process provides no meaningful opportunity to challenge placement on such government terrorist watch lists. Additionally, the government has a long-standing “neither confirm nor deny” policy towards acknowledging inclusion on these lists. Therefore, it is virtually impossible to determine of one is actually on the list or subsequently removed.
Mr. Nasser Beydoun is the representative of the class for this lawsuit. Mr. Beydoun is a successful businessman and an upstanding US citizen. However, Mr. Beydou n is continually subjected to unjust scrutiny when attempting to travel. This affects Mr. Beydoun personally, and also unduly affects Mr. Beydoun’s ability to work and provide for himself and his family.
Link to report by WXYZ Detroit:
<a href=”http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/detroit-area-businessman-files-class-action-lawsuit-for-unfair-targeting-of-arab-americans”> http://www.wxyz.com/news/region/detroit/detroit-area-businessman-files-class-action-lawsuit-for-unfair-targeting-of-arab-americans</a>
ABC Detroit
Jane Park