NYPD Sued Over Muslim Surveillance Program Records
▼ Summary
– A New Jersey man, Samir Hashmi, has filed a new open-records lawsuit against New York City over NYPD spying claims, seeking documents related to his past involvement with Muslim organizations.
– The lawsuit will test mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned against such surveillance, as it challenges his decision to retain the current police commissioner.
– Hashmi was part of the Rutgers Muslim Student Association, which was infiltrated by the NYPD’s now-disbanded “demographics unit” according to a 2011 investigation.
– His new request seeks specific intelligence reports from 2006-2008, after his previous case was lost when courts upheld the NYPD’s right to neither confirm nor deny records existed.
– Hashmi was motivated to refile by personal losses and by the NYPD’s recent crackdown on protests, which are the subject of separate lawsuits alleging constitutional violations.
A New Jersey man has initiated a fresh legal challenge against the New York City Police Department, seeking records related to its controversial surveillance of Muslim communities. This lawsuit represents a significant early test for Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned on a platform that included strong criticism of the NYPD’s past intelligence-gathering practices. The case centers on the department’s former “demographics unit,” which was disbanded after a 2018 settlement, but leaves unanswered questions about the scope of its activities.
Samir Hashmi, a former member of the Rutgers Muslim Student Association, is pursuing the action. His student group was among dozens reportedly infiltrated by NYPD intelligence operatives in the late 2000s, according to a major investigation by the Associated Press. While a prior civil rights lawsuit led to the unit’s dissolution, Hashmi did not join that settlement. His earlier attempt to obtain documents was blocked in 2018 when a court upheld the NYPD’s right to issue a “Glomar” response, a legal maneuver where an agency neither confirms nor denies that records exist.
Motivated by personal loss and a desire for transparency, Hashmi filed new requests under the New York Freedom of Information Law this past February. These requests are more narrowly tailored than his previous attempt, focusing on weekly intelligence summaries, organizational profiles, and specific mosque reports pertaining to groups he was involved with between 2006 and 2008. The NYPD denied both his initial request and a subsequent appeal, leading to the December filing of this lawsuit. His petition references specific intelligence reports from that era that were publicly revealed over a decade ago.
Hashmi cites two primary reasons for renewing his efforts. The passing of his father and the death of his original co-plaintiff, Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid, instilled a renewed sense of urgency to uncover the truth. Furthermore, he was prompted by recent NYPD actions, including its response to widespread protests over the last three years, which are themselves the subject of ongoing civil rights litigation. However, the decisive factor was Mayor-elect Mamdani’s announcement that he would retain Jessica Tisch as police commissioner. This decision, following an election that mobilized many Muslim voters, convinced Hashmi that continued external pressure was necessary to ensure accountability and reform.
(Source: Wired)
