Assalamu'alaykum John,

America’s promise is to be this nation, but prejudice is standing in the way. Fortunately, the laws of this land provide the foundation for this promised future – a future that is Muslim Legal Fund of America’s ultimate vision.

Last week, we commemorated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his inspirational and thought-provoking messages of justice, equality, and activism. In his 1967 speech entitled The Other America, Dr. King reminded us that in order to bring America "to the point that we have one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" we must keep 2 things in mind: first, the time is always right to do what is right. "Somewhere we must come to see that social progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals."

Second, the laws of this land can protect and promote the concepts of liberty and justice that this country was founded upon. "Although it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated... while the law may not change the hearts of men, it can and it does change the habits of men. And when you begin to change the habits of men, pretty soon the attitudes will be changed; pretty soon the hearts will be changed."

It is upon these notions that MLFA aims to Build Legal Power for American Muslims.

As we enter an election year with news of Iranian-Americans being profiled and detained at the border, efforts to further restrict immigration and expand the Muslim Ban, and Islamophobic tweets from the office of a President seeking reelection by fueling xenophobia, we must prioritize efforts to:

Defend our rights, despite the rising tide of Islamophobia.
Counter discrimination in the legal justice system, despite vast government resources and administrative hurdles.
Expose government programs that profile, persecute, and prosecute our communities simply on the basis of their faith, despite the misguided premise of 'guilt by association' that underpins many such policies.
Speak up on behalf of vulnerable members of our community, because by standing up for the rights of one, we uphold the freedoms and liberties of all.
Stem the tide of injustice in order to ensure that the promise of America becomes a reality for all, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or cultural heritage.

The struggle for the promise of America is ongoing, and we must continue to uphold the principles of justice that can truly make this nation great.

We are looking forward to a productive, empowering, and inspirational year ahead. With your ongoing support, justice is possible.

In faith and for justice,

Media reports of firsthand accounts of U.S. citizens and U.S. lawful permanent residents ("LPR") of Iranian descent being sent through a prolonged secondary inspection process made headlines earlier this month. These accounts indicated that the U.S. Custom and Border Patrol ("CBP") officers were focusing questions on political views and allegiances, military service, employment and education.

The MLFA-funded Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America addresses this development and provides essential information to keep in mind if you or someone you know experience travel difficulties. Read the full P.S.A. below:

CLCMA Pursuing Justice on Behalf of Client Demanding Government Accountability for Violating His Constitutional Rights

"They say, 'try hard, work hard, and you can be successful,' but it's way more complex than that." These are the words of an American Muslim who found himself fighting for his rights after being targeted by U.S. government agencies for no other discernible reason than his identity.

Last year, we introduced CLCMA client Lassana Magassa, who lost his job due to government actions that violated his rights. While he had a break in his case a few months later, he has chosen to press on in his pursuit of justice.

Magassa, an African-American Muslim of Malian descent, experienced first-hand the complexity of government programs that disproportionately target Muslims. Growing up in Harlem, New York, Magassa had aspirations for higher education and an interest in law enforcement. He also knew what it was to hustle: while pursuing his PhD in Seattle, he worked the night shift at Delta Airlines to support his family. This required special security clearance from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which he had no problem receiving. It was the abrupt and unexplained revocation of this clearance, and the difficulties that ensued, that positioned Magassa as a plaintiff against government defendants at the FBI, TSA, DHS, and CBP.

Magassa's trouble seemed to stem from an encounter with an FBI agent who he had met under the assumption of exploring a career with law enforcement. Instead, the agent appeared interested in recruiting Magassa as an informant. "To make me an informant would actually imply that I'm surrounding myself with people that are doing things that need to be informed about, which is actually quite offensive. I'm an American Muslim, and I have the same values as all other Americans."

After refusing the FBI agent's proposal, Magassa began facing difficulties traveling. Alarms inexplicably blared when he scanned his boarding passes, he was subjected to extensive secondary screenings, and he missed numerous flights. He lost his Global Entry privileges, his security clearance, and his airport badge one after the other. This meant that he also abruptly lost his job. His experiences were consistent with individuals on the Terrorist Watch List - and Magassa wanted to know why.

For three years, he followed administrative procedures to request information from the TSA and CBP in order to challenge such a designation, but he was never provided any information other than heavily redacted documents that do no more than to identify that he was the topic of investigation.

Then one day last summer, less than a month after the latest of many pleadings filed on his behalf by lawyers at the Constitutional Law Center for Muslims in America, Magassa received a letter from the TSA stating that he no longer posed a threat. While welcome and long overdue, this reversal is equally unexplained, and does nothing to reassure Magassa that it won’t happen again.

Magassa was directly affected by government regulations that deprived him of various liberty and property interests for the nearly three-year period in which the TSA found he posed a security threat, without the ability to properly determine or confront the claims against him. He is still in the dark about why his rights were violated, and with the help of CLCMA, is pushing the government for accountability so it doesn't happen again - to him or to anyone else.

Last month, CLCMA filed a new lawsuit on behalf of Magassa seeking a ruling that such regulations and policies are arbitrary and capricious, and prejudiced their client by denying him due process of law. The constitutional issues pertaining to loss of credentials, loss of reputation, and loss of chosen employment, as well as undue hardship in, and the chilling effect on, traveling both domestically and internationally, were not responsibly addressed by the government agencies involved. Chief among the issues raised is the lack of information provided to justify - or challenge - why he was a person of interest in the first place.

Magassa is still reeling from the stigma of his experience, and fears that his rights and freedoms may be in jeopardy at any time in the future, should history repeat itself. By pursuing this lawsuit, he’s not merely leaving it up to chance. He’s continuing to fight for his rights, his good name, and his dream of success as an American Muslim, with the liberty and justice meant for all.