WASHINGTON — Four civil liberties groups are suing the federal government over what they claim are illegal arrests in the wake of a new U.S. immigration registration policy.
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Alliance of Iranian-Americans, Council on American Islamic Relations and the National Council of Pakistani Americans filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles along with four of the individuals detained last week and two others who the groups say are afraid to register.
The arrests last week came as thousands of immigrant men living in the United States from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, and Libya had to register with the government under a new procedure to help track their whereabouts by December 16.
More than 450 persons were detained last week as thousands tried to register at the last moment to meet the deadline. Most of those who were detained were Iranian-Americans living in the Los Angeles area. Government officials defended the detentions saying the men were arrested because investigators did not believe they were in the country legally or there was a question about their background.
As of last Friday, the Justice Department said it was detaining 23 persons in the Los Angeles area after background checks had been completed and bond had been posted by the rest.
The groups say the arrests were illegal because the government did not have warrants, that it is unlawful to arrest and deport people who are eligible to apply for permanent status, and some detainees were already pursuing legal residency.
Justice Department officials argued the arrests were legal and said the lawsuit was being reviewed.
The groups are asking a judge to grant an injunction ordering the government not to arrest anyone in the specific registration groups without a warrant, an injunction to stop the deportation, and the holding of any detainees without bond who have an avenue to legalize their status.
"Although the special registration policy has been presented as a national security measure designed to counter potential terrorist threats, the INS has been using the registration process to not only enforce immigration law but to arrest and deport people who have complied with the law at every stage and are on the road to becoming permanent residents," the plaintiffs' argued in a press release.
Arab-American groups fear others will be detained when men from 13 other countries living in the United States, including Afghanistan and Yemen, have to register by January 10 of next year. Men from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia face a February 21 deadline.
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