The ACLU and the Council on American Islamic Relations announced today that they have filed suit against the FBI for indiscriminate surveillance of Muslims in Southern California. The lawsuit was filed in a U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and names the FBI and seven of its agents and supervisors.
It says former FBI informant Craig Monteilh was ordered by his supervisors to target Muslims, violating their First Amendment right to freedom of religion.
The filing seeks class-action status, unspecified damages and a court order instructing the agency to destroy or return the information that Monteilh collected. Pacifica’s Ernesto Arce has more from Los Angeles.