According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Abu Irshaid, executive director of American Muslims for Palestine, faced extensive scrutiny and had his phone seized after traveling to Qatar and back in June. His phone remains in federal custody. Zeidan, a California resident, was reportedly barred from boarding a flight to visit his mother in Jordan earlier this year and later discovered he was on the no-fly list.
The lawsuit, filed in the Eastern District of Virginia, also names leaders from the Homeland Security Department and the State Department as defendants. These agencies have not yet commented on the matter.
The FBI maintains that its Terrorist Screening Center does not use race, religion, or free-speech activities as criteria for watch list placements. However, human rights advocates point to an increase in Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian sentiment, and other forms of discrimination in the U.S., exacerbated by recent conflicts in Gaza.
The lawsuit comes amid rising violence against Palestinian Americans, including several high-profile incidents in the past year, highlighting ongoing tensions and concerns over civil rights abuses related to national security measures.
