The Supreme Court on Friday sided with the FBI in its effort to block the disclosure of surveillance in Muslim communities in Southern California.
Justices ruled unanimously, saying the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit erred when it said the state secrets privilege used to block information that the U.S. government sees as a danger to national security is displaced by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act’s procedures for court review of the government’s assertion.
"The absence of any reference to the state secrets privilege in FISA is strong evidence that the availability of the privilege was not altered when Congress passed the Act," Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the ruling.Sheikh Yassir Fazaga brought forth the case in 2011, years after he and others first became the target of an FBI investigation dating back to June 2006.
After the plaintiffs filed their case, the district court maintained in 2012 that it could not consider the claims that the FBI unlawfully targeted Islamic community figures for spying because the agency argued that further proceedings could reveal state secrets. The court of appeals subsequently disagreed and told the district court to examine the plaintiff's claims under the FISA procedures required by Congress.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Supreme Court sides with FBI in suit brought by Muslim Americans on spyingJUST IN: A unanimous Supreme Court dealt a setback to three Muslim Americans who are trying to sue the FBI for religious discrimination over surveillance in their place of worship after 9/11.
Read more »
Supreme Court reverses decision allowing Muslims’ FBI surveillance bias suitThe men, represented by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union and others, claimed religious discrimination and violations of other rights, saying they were spied on solely because of their faith.
Read more »
Supreme Court says government can use state secrets privilege to block evidenceThe U.S. Supreme Court on Friday said the federal government could invoke the state secrets privilege to protect evidence it said could harm national security, in a case brought by three Muslim men.
Read more »
Supreme Court to decide whether the state can override your freedom to choose what you sayIn New Mexico, Jonathan and Elaine Huguenin had to close their photography studio. In Washington, florist Barronelle Stutzman was forced to retire. In New York, photographer and blogger Emilee Carpenter is risking jail time. And in Colorado, cake artist Jack Phillips is back in court, enduring his…
Read more »
Supreme Court reinstates death sentence for Boston Marathon bomberThe Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
Read more »
UC Berkeley enrollment capped, but few students turned away by state Supreme Court decisionUC Berkeley now says it will be able to enroll almost all the students it planned to in the coming academic year, despite enrollment cap.
Read more »