The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey filed an amicus brief on behalf of a coalition of civil rights organizations arguing that the federal district court applied the improper standard when it dismissed a challenge to the New York Police Department’s surveillance of Muslims in New Jersey.  The plaintiffs are challenging a police program that appears to single out individuals, businesses and religious organizations based on the fact that they belong to a particular religious minority. The brief argues that complaint should not have been dismissed for two reasons. First, plaintiffs who allege unconstitutional acts of the governmentandwho allege cognizable individual harm have sufficient standing to challenge those government actions.  Second, the district court failed to recognize that being subjected to discriminatory treatment is an injury unto itself.

Attorney(s)

Ronald Chen/Rutgers Constitutional Rights Clinic

Date filed

July 10, 2014

Court

United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Status

Closed