ANAHEIM — Two Palestinian-American men, one from Southern California and another from Virginia, filed a federal lawsuit Monday with the Council on American-Islamic Relations challenging the airport watchlist for terrorists, arguing that they were being targeted for their criticism of the war in Gaza.
The suit was filed in federal court in Virginia against officials with the U.S. Justice Department, FBI, Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, the Defense Department, the State Department and other agencies. It was announced during news conferences in Washington and Anaheim.
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CAIR holds press conferences in DC and LA to announce a lawsuit against the federal government.
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) August 12, 2024
Mustafa Zeidan, the Southern California resident, said he has been placed on the “no fly” list, and Osama Abu Irshaid of Virginia said he was also placed on a watch list that prompts airport security to inspect his phone every time he takes a flight, prolonging the time to board a plane, sometimes by hours.
Irshaid “is detained at the border by federal agents each time he crosses it,” the lawsuit alleges.
Irshaid is subjected to “humiliating questions about his lawful associations and work leading a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights of Palestinians,” the suit alleges.. Authorities have seized his phone and he has been unable to retrieve it, the suit alleges.
Zeidan said he has been blocked from flying altogether and has had to hire someone to look after his ailing 72-year-old mother in Jordan. She has high blood pressure and diabetes, he said
When he tried to board a flight March 24,”I was shocked when airport security informed me I couldn’t board the flight without providing any explanation,” Zeidan said at a news conference at CAIR-LA offices in Anaheim.
“This situation caused me significant concern for my mother who relies on me for care,” Zeidan said.
Zeidan said he felt “humiliated and distressed,” and added, “I am perplexed as to why I am suddenly being denied access. Could this be related to my recent activity? Since Oct. 7, I have been peacefully and legally protesting against genocide.”
Zeidan said he leads weekly demonstrations in the “High Desert region of Southern California” against Israel’s war on Hamas for the mass kidnappings and killings in October in Israel.
According to the FBI website, “the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) keeps the American people safe by sharing terrorism-related information across the U.S. government and with other law enforcement agencies.”
“The TSC works to protect privacy and civil liberties at all steps in the watchlisting process. To add a person to the watchlist, specific intelligence-related criteria must be met,” the website says.
The Orange County Register contributed to this story.
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