Is the FBI Spying on Muslims in California?

August 27, 2010

Is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spying on Muslim communities in Berkeley, Fresno, Visalia, San Jose or other Northern California communities?

We don't know. But we're determined to find out.

Over the past several months, community members from cities across Northern California have contacted the ACLU and the Asian Law Caucus to share their personal experiences about visits by FBI agents and to voice broader community anxiety over FBI attempts to recruit informants and infiltrators.

This week, the ACLU-NC filed a lawsuit to speed the release of FBI records on the matter. The FBI indicated in March that it would comply with the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act request. But the agency has yet to release a single document.

It's important to understand whether domestic surveillance is having a chilling effect on the right to worship freely or to exercise other forms of expression. And it's important to call for transparency to ensure that our government is not abusing its power.

If you or someone you know has had a recent personal experience with the FBI that has caused concern or fear, please let us know by calling our civil liberties hotline at (415) 621-2488, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The ACLU says the FBI's racial data gathering and mapping practice is unfair, inefficient, and un-American. Watch the video:

Note: By playing this clip YouTube and Google will place a long-term cookie on your computer. Read the YouTube and Google privacy statements to learn more. Read our privacy statement here.