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Muslim advocacy group to announce class action suit against FBI

By the CNN Wire Staff
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • The council's California chapters began documenting surveillance practices last year
  • It says that Muslims have complained of an increase in FBI visits
  • It says it was identifying patterns of "overly intrusive conduct"

(CNN) -- The California chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the ACLU say they will announce a federal class action lawsuit Wednesday against the FBI for "illegal surveillance of the Muslim community."

The council's San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento offices began documenting FBI surveillance practices last year.

"In recent months, there has been a notable increase in complaints by community members of FBI visits," the offices said in July.

It said that Muslims of varying ethnic and geographic background have reported visits by FBI agents.

"We have seen a special emphasis on individuals who have ties to, or have visited Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen," it said.

The California chapters said it was conducting the project, in conjunction with the ACLU and the Asian Law Caucus, to identify pattens of "overly intrusive conduct."