Suit Challenges NYPD's Muslim Surveillance Program

A federal lawsuit was filed yesterday challenging the constitutionality of the New York Police Department's surveillance program directed at Muslim religious and community leaders, organizations, businesses and at mosques.  The complaint (full text) in Raza v. City of New York, (ED NY, filed 6/18/2013), asserting free exercise, equal protection and establishment clause violations, summarizes the claims:

Since 2002, the New York City Police Department ("NYPD") has engaged in an unlawful policy and practice of religioius profiling and suspicionless surveillance of Muslim New Yorkers. This policy and practice has a false and unconstitutional premise: that Muslim religious beliefs and practices are a basis for law enforcement scrutiny.

The ACLU issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit. A similar lawsuit was filed last year by different plaintiffs in a New Jersey federal district court.