Plaintiffs and Attorneys to Hold Press Availability Following Arguments on Monday at 11:30 a.m. ET in front of Supreme Court
(WASHINGTON D.C, 11/5/21) – On Monday, November 8, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in FBI v. Fazaga, a landmark case brought by three American Muslims represented by the California chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law, the ACLU of Southern California, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the law firm of Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai, challenging the FBI’s secret spying on them and their communities based on their religion, in violation of the Constitution and statutory law. The plaintiffs — Yassir Fazaga, Ali Uddin Malik, and Yasser AbdelRahim — assert that the FBI cannot escape accountability for violating their religious freedom by invoking “state secrets.”
MEDIA ADVISORY: Attorneys and plaintiffs will be available for comment outside the courthouse immediately following oral arguments at 11:30 a.m. ET
LIVESTREAM: facebook.com/CAIRNational
The case stems from an FBI operation in 2006 and 2007 in which agents sent a paid informant to some of the largest, most diverse mosques in Orange County, California and instructed him to pose as a convert to Islam.
SEE: Muslim Americans Bring the Fight Against Surveillance to the Supreme Court (TIME)
https://time.com/6097712/muslim-american-surveillance-supreme-court-sept-11/
CAIR-LA Welcomes Landmark Ruling Permitting Lawsuit Challenging Unlawful Surveillance of Muslims
In addition to the importance of this case for Muslim Americans and religious freedom, the case has profound implications for future challenges to illegal government surveillance. One of the central legal questions in FBI v. Fazaga is about what set of rules controls when the government invokes secrecy in surveillance cases. If the Supreme Court upholds the government’s overbroad claims of secrecy, the government will have every incentive to continue invoking “state secrets” to conceal abuses and thwart accountability in the courts.
WHO:
- Ahilan Aruanantham, Faculty Co-Director of UCLA School of Law’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy and Lead Attorney on FBI v. Fazaga
- Hussam Ayloush, Chief Executive Officer, CAIR-CA and Executive Director, CAIR-LA
- Sheikh Yassir Fazaga, Plaintiff
- Ali Malik, Plaintiff
- Yasser AbdelRahim, Plaintiff
- Hussam Ayloush, Chief Executive Officer, CAIR-CA and Executive Director, CAIR-LA
- Peter Bibring, Senior Counsel, ACLU of Southern California
WHEN: Monday, November 8, 2021
Arguments in FBI v. Fazaga begin at 10 a.m. ET
Arguments Will Be Livestreamed for Remote Listening
WHERE: Supreme Court of the United States, Washington, D.C.
Audio of the oral arguments will be available here: https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx
The livestream of the oral arguments will be broadcast at 10 a.m. ET in the Parish Hall of the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, behind the Supreme Court, at 212 East Capitol St NE, Washington, DC 20003.
CONTACTS:
Allegra Harpootlian, 303-748-4051, [email protected]
Gabriela Domenzain, 213-878-3526, [email protected]
Enjy El-Kadi, 714-851-4851, [email protected]
Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, 240-454-5434, [email protected]
BACKGROUNDER:
The case page for FBI v. Fazaga can be found here:
https://www.aclu.org/cases/fbi-v-fazaga
The Supreme Court docket for the case can be found here:
https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/20-828.html
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]