Three Muslim Americans have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security as they claimed to have been asked illegal and invasive questions when returning to the U.S. after international travel.
The three men believe the questions about their religious beliefs were in violation of their constitutional rights, according to ABC 7. The federal lawsuit was filed in California by the ACLU, as LAist reported some of the questioning happened in the Los Angeles International Airport.
“I’m constantly worried about how I will be perceived, so much so that I try to avoid calling any attention to my faith,” the ACLU quoted plaintiff Imam Abdirahman Aden Kariye as saying. “I normally wear a Muslim prayer cap, but I no longer wear it at the airport to avoid being questioned by border officials. It’s terrible to feel you have to hide an essential part of who you are from your own government.”
Some of the questions included detailed interrogation about their religion, including what mosque they attend, if they’re Sunni or Shi’a and how often they pray. The ACLU stated that this was an unconstitutional action as it violates rights to freedom and religion and protection against unequal treatment, ABC 7 reports.
ACLU of Southern California Attorney Mohammad Tajsar is representing the plaintiffs.
“Those questions communicate a stigma that the government has towards Islam and Muslim identity in a way that violates the First Amendment’s prohibition on favoring or disfavoring a particular religion,” Taisar said.
“Just as border officers may not single out Christian Americans to ask what denomination they are, which church they attend, and how regularly they pray, singling out Muslim Americans for similar questions is unconstitutional,” ABC7 reported the lawsuit stated.
The Department of Homeland Security told LAist it does not comment on pending litigation.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our new Instagram account. Go to our Twitter feed and Facebook page for more content. Please consider interning, joining our staff, or submitting a story, or making a contribution.
