FBI allegedly used no-fly list to pressure Muslims into becoming informants

The FBI allegedly placed a handful of Muslim men on the government's no-fly list in an attempt to pressure them into becoming confidential informants, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court.

According to the suit, the FBI approached at least four Muslim men and asked them to spy on their local communities. In exchange, the agency offered financial compensation and assistance in obtaining citizenship, while also dropping a not-so-subtle reminder that it controlled who went on the no-fly list. When one of the men, Awais Sajjad, refused to cooperate, the FBI "kept him on the list in order to pressure and coerce [him] to sacrifice his constitutionally-protected rights," the suit alleges.

The suit names Attorney General Eric Holder, FBI Director James Comey, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, and two dozen FBI agents as defendants.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up