BREAKING: CAIR-MN, CAIR LDF File Federal Lawsuit Against DHS, ICE, for Targeting Twin Cities Organizer Advocating for ICE Divestment | CAIR Calls on FBI to Join Probe of Armed Suspect Chased from Site of Tenn. Mosque | CAIR Welcomes Dropping of Charges Against U.S. Capitol Demonstrators Against Israeli Torture of Palestinian Detainees

BREAKING: CAIR-MN, CAIR LDF File Federal Lawsuit Against DHS, ICE, for Illegal Targeting and Search of Twin Cities Organizer Advocating for ICE Divestment

The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), a chapter of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, along with the CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF), today announced the filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of Twin Cities labor organizer and ICE divestment advocate Janette Zahia Corcelius.

The lawsuit alleges that border agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated the First and Fourth Amendments when they unlawfully seized Corcelius’ property and searched her cell phone at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on April 30, 2026. Agents had no lawful basis for their actions—they were targeting Corcelius for her speech.

“Across the country, we are seeing the Trump administration warp the federal government to attack its political opponents and undermine our constitutional rights,” said CAIR LDF attorney John Fossum. “Janette is taking this battle to court because we know that every one of these unlawful actions, every encounter and overreach, must be confronted and rejected.”

“American Muslims are being targeted for the healthy criticism of their government—the most democratic action a citizen can take,” said CAIR-MN Civil Rights Director Alec Shaw. “We stand with Minnesotans and we stand with Ms. Corcelius today.”

READ: Complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota

CAIR Calls on FBI to Join Probe of Armed Suspect Chased from Site of Tennessee Mosque

In a statement, Washington, D.C, based CAIR said:

“Given the current climate of escalating anti-Muslim hate and violence, federal authorities should join the investigation into this alarming incident and determine whether bias played a role. Muslim communities nationwide are increasingly concerned about threats targeting mosques and worshipers, and every credible threat must be treated with the utmost seriousness.”

UPDATE: CAIR Welcomes Dropping of Charges Against U.S. Capitol Demonstrators Against Israeli Torture of Palestinian Detainees

Yesterday, CAIR called for the charges to be dropped.

In a statement, CAIR said:

“We welcome this development and again applaud those who used their freedom to highlight the plight of men, women and children facing abuse in Israeli torture camps funded by our taxpayer dollars. Peaceful protest against human rights abuses should not result in imprisonment and serious criminal charges. Engaging in human rights abuses should.”

CAIR-SFBA Welcomes Hate Crime Plea, Sentencing of Man Who Threatened to Kill Pro-Palestinian Protesters

In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:

“Threatening to kill Palestinians, spitting on a protester, and trying to intimidate people out of calling for a ceasefire is not protected speech. It is hate, and we welcome this plea and sentencing as an important measure of accountability.

“No one should be assaulted or threatened because they speak out for Palestinian human rights. This case shows exactly why anti-Palestinian hate must be taken seriously, especially when it is directed at people exercising their First Amendment rights.

“We thank the protesters who documented this attack and continued organizing despite the hate directed at them. We also thank the prosecutors who brought this case and treated these threats with the seriousness they deserved.”

CAIR-MA Welcomes Charges for Alleged Racist Attack on Hispanic Diners

In a statement, CAIR-MA Executive Director Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, Esq., said:

“Everyone deserves to dine, work, and live free from racist harassment and violence. We welcome these charges and thank law enforcement authorities for taking this alleged attack seriously. Hate-fueled incidents targeting minority communities continue to threaten the safety and dignity of all people. We must stand united against racism and bigotry in every form.”