November 12, 2014
The American Muslim community's fears about stereotyping lie at the center of a recent landmark court case, Tabbaa v. Chertoff, involving 40 Muslims who were detained at the Canada – U.S. border when they tried to return from a conference. Exploring this case as part of its coverage of the atmosphere surrounding current Congressional hearings on the radicalization of Muslims, NPR's Dina Temple-Raston interviewed Schlam Stone & Dolan partner Mike Battle. Mr. Battle, who was United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, served successfully as prosecutor when the U.S. brought its landmark case against the Lackawanna Six in 2002. He has followed with interest the evolution of law and government policies affecting persons swept up in the politics of anti-terrorism. The Tabbaa case was brought by an American citizen and Muslim who crossed the border in December 2004 to attend a conference in Toronto. When he attempted to get home, Mr. Tabbaa and 39 others were detained at the border by U.S. border authorities and, they assert, illegally mistreated. Mr. Tabbaa lost the case and an appeal, but further related legal action, backed by the ACLU, is pending.
Coverage of the case can be found here:
- NPR, published on March 9, 2011