PRESS STATEMENT

**FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION**

CAIR-Chicago Applauds SCOTUS Decision Allowing Muslims to Sue for Money Damages over No-Fly List

(CHICAGO, IL, 12/10/2020) – The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) applauds the recent Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision that allows Muslim men wrongly placed on the No-Fly List to sue for monetary damages. The decision was released earlier today regarding a case of three Muslim men who were put on the list after refusing to spy on fellow Muslims.

SEE: Supreme Court says Muslim men wrongly placed on no-fly list can sue for money damages

The No-Fly List was instituted in 2003, during the unrest following the September 11th attacks. It moved to prevent individuals from flying within, into, and out of the United States. Historically, those who make it on the list are predominantly men with Islamic names.

"We welcome the Supreme Court's ruling as a big step in the right direction. This (sadly all too common) practice of blackmailing citizens into becoming spies against their religious or ethnic communities is patently counter to the spirit of our laws, freedoms, and common decency that are supposed to make America unique. It's an utter disgrace,” CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab said. "And for these criminal shakedowns to happen at the hands of taxpayer-funded 'law' enforcement, not the mafia, that should concern and offend every American. Once again, the Muslim community is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to checking the extent of erosion of liberty and dignity in recent times.”

"Since its inception, we have questioned and challenged the No-Fly List as arbitrary and unconstitutional. Despite many inquiries, we have yet to be told the process in which an individual is placed on this list. This secrecy is a recipe for abuse as we are now seeing, where nefarious methods are applied to manipulate and punish citizens with little to no recourse,” CAIR-Chicago Deputy Director Sufyan Sohel said. "And so, We welcome this decision by the Supreme Court which further cements our belief that this policy has no place in America and look forward to helping members of our community attain justice"

CAIR-Chicago has conducted several in-depth investigations into the No-Fly List. Its most recent research shows that individuals are not informed of their placement on the list, nor are they given an opportunity to prove their innocence before that placement is put into effect. Although a redress program titled The DHS’s Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP) has been instituted and revised, CAIR-Chicago has found Muslim travelers will likely face the same issues they've been facing until the government’s programs meet the notice and neutral review requirements of Due Process due to lack of transparency at the bureaucratic level. In 2017, CAIR-Chicago launched the Travelers Assistance Project (TAP), to help travelers who are wrongfully detained while flying. If you or a loved one experiences detainment at the airport, call 1 872-333-2737.

SEE: CAIR-NATIONAL: Jacksonville Man Files Federal Lawsuit Challenging National No-Fly List

CAIR-Chicago is the Chicago office of America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Our mission is to defend civil rights, fight bigotry, and promote tolerance.

-END-

CONTACT: CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab, 202-870-0166, arehab@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Saadia Pervaiz, 312-212-1520, spervaiz@cair.com; CAIR-Chicago Communications Coordinator Hannah Faris, 312-212-1520, hfaris@cair.com