Issue:

Civil Rights Groups Urge Release of Information on Unlawful Profiling and Surveillance Under Muslim Ban Executive Orders

Yesterday, the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center and Muslim Advocates urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release key documents pertaining to the potential targeting of Muslims, and individuals perceived to be Muslim, during travel through the nation’s airports and other ports of entry.
In three Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, the groups requested an expedited release of documentation about reported:
“Following the President’s executive orders and the many allegations that have surfaced of potential abuses by DHS, it is critical to obtain further information to determine whether DHS has been exercising its responsibilities in a discriminatory manner,” said Amir Ali, Supreme Court and appellate counsel for MacArthur Justice Center’s Washington D.C. office.  “Americans have a right to know more than what they have been told about the chaos and targeting of innocent citizens, mostly Muslim, that took place in U.S. airports, as well as what the administration has done to avoid that chaos and targeting in round two of the executive order.”
“The implementation of President Trump’s first Muslim ban executive order raised serious questions about whether federal law enforcement officials at airports and other ports of entry were engaged in unlawful profiling based on religion or race,” said Johnathan Smith, legal director for Muslim Advocates.  “Our nation’s airports are not Constitution-free zones and these FOIA requests will ensure that the rights of all those who are in America are fully respected.”
About Muslim Advocates
Muslim Advocates is a national legal advocacy and educational organization that works on the frontlines of civil rights to guarantee freedom and justice for Americans of all faiths.  As a thoughtful voice in Washington, we ensure the concerns of American Muslims are heard by leaders at the highest levels of government.  As a watchdog of justice, we use the courts to bring to task those who threaten the rights of American Muslims. Learn more atwww.muslimadvocates.org.
About the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center
Founded in 1985, the Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center is one of the premier civil rights law firms in the United States. The MacArthur Justice Center has offices in Chicago, St. Louis, New Orleans, Oxford, MS, and Washington, DC. For additional information, visit www.DC.MacArthurJusticeCenter.org