In a striking sign that New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) will part ways with his predecessor when it comes to law enforcement and civil liberties, the New York Police Department has terminated a controversial program that spied on the city's Muslim communities, reports The New York Times.
In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the NYPD used plainclothes officers to keep tabs on Muslim community leaders, mosques, and charities. Yet officers often had no reason to suspect their targets were guilty of any wrongdoing, prompting a fierce backlash — and multiple lawsuits — when the program was revealed in 2011. In filing a lawsuit against the NYPD last year, the American Civil Liberties Union alleged that the program "operates under the unconstitutional premise that Muslim beliefs and practices are a basis for law enforcement scrutiny."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
-
7 drinks for every winter need possibleThe Week Recommends Including a variety of base spirits and a range of temperatures
-
'We have made it a crime for most refugees to want the American dream'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Was the Azerbaijan Airlines plane shot down?Today's Big Question Multiple sources claim Russian anti-aircraft missile damaged passenger jet, leading to Christmas Day crash that killed at least 38
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
