NYC Lawyer argues that the NYPD has the right to spy on law abiding Muslims

Peter Farrell, senior counsel in the New York City Law Department, argued this week in federal court that the NYPD has the right to spy on law abiding Muslims. Farrell argued that the fact that NYPD targeted peaceful individuals was not relevant, telling a federal judge “Whether it promotes violent behavior or doesn’t promote violent behavior relates to the potential for unlawful activity.” 

Lawyers were in court this week to discuss a highly criticized program, secretly conducted by the NYPD, to monitor Muslims in universities, restaurants, businesses, or places of worship, even if they are not suspected of having any relationship to criminal activity.

This litigation is based on a dispute on Handschu restrictions, and is one of several lawsuits filed against the city of New York challenging the controversial practice. Handschu restrictions are limits imposed on the types of surveillance that the NYPD can engage in. 

Reporters from the Associated Press won a Pulitzer Prize for exposing the secret program. According to reports, officers from the New York Police Department travelled to universities as far as New Jersey to monitor student groups unconnected to any allegations of terrorism.

In other instances, officers repeatedly visited restaurants and businesses in an attempt to spy on customers who appeared to be Muslim. Following nationwide outrage, a Congressional resolution to condemn the NYPD’s behavior as unconstitutional was introduced. 

Jethro Eisenstein, a civil rights attorney for the plaintiffs in the Handschu case, believed that Farrell’s explanation only proved the point of the petitioners. “It means if you breathe in and out and you’re Muslim, than the NYPD can keep records on you.”

Read the rest of the story HERE.

“It means if you breathe in and out and you’re Muslim, than the NYPD can keep records on you.”

Sounds about right to me. Keep up the GOOD WORK Commissioner Kelly!

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