Lawsuit Against Immigration Department and John Ashcroft - 2002-12-25

A coalition of Arab Americans, Iranian Americans, and Muslim groups in the U.S. has filed a lawsuit against the Immigration Department and U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft due to the detention of men from the Middle East. These individuals had voluntarily registered under new regulations aimed at tracking suspected terrorists. Last week, thousands of men from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, and Syria went to local immigration offices in California to register. Among them, hundreds were detained and, according to Arab and Muslim groups, were held in small cells without bedding. In their lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles, these groups claim that the detentions are illegal and seek a court order to prevent such actions in the future. They have also requested that the federal court halt the deportation proceedings against those detained who are applying for permanent residency and can legally remain in the U.S. Under the new federal regulations, men aged at least 16 from certain countries, including many Arab nations and the Middle East, must register with immigration offices by mid-February, one and a half months from now. Arab and Muslim groups warn that due to last week's surprise detentions, many individuals may refrain from registering in the future. The Justice Department and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have yet to respond to this lawsuit. However, officials reported that fewer than 250 individuals were detained for overstaying their visas, and as of yesterday, all but about 30 of them have been released.