New Lawsuit Seeks Accountability for NYPD Surveillance of Muslim Communities

A New Jersey resident, who previously unsuccessfully sued the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to determine if the agency’s Intelligence Division spied on him and fellow Muslims as part of its notorious, expansive “mosque-raking” program during the Michael Bloomberg administration, has initiated a new open-records lawsuit against the city regarding alleged surveillance.

The lawsuit will test the law enforcement policies of mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who campaigned vocally against the NYPD’s targeting of Muslim New Yorkers, a stance that galvanized record voter turnout in these communities.

Background: Prior Litigation and Surveillance Allegations

Samir Hashmi, a Rutgers University alum and former member of the Rutgers Muslim Student Association (MSA), was among dozens of organizations infiltrated by the NYPD, according to a 2011 Associated Press (AP) investigation citing leaked documents. The AP’s report exposed the NYPD’s “demographics unit,” which mapped Muslim and Arab communities, and its use of undercover agents and informants to infiltrate mosques, student groups, and cultural institutions.

Following public backlash and a 2018 civil rights settlement, the NYPD disbanded its demographics unit. Hashmi, who did not sign the settlement, lost an initial open-records case in 2018, when a 4-3 ruling by the New York State Court of Appeals upheld the NYPD’s use of a “Glomar response”—neither confirming nor denying the existence of records related to the mosque-raking program.

New Lawsuit and FOIL Requests

In February 2025, Hashmi filed new Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests seeking weekly intelligence summaries, profiles of organizations targeted by the Intelligence Division, and mosque-specific reports related to his participation in Muslim student associations between 2006 and 2008. The NYPD rejected these requests, prompting Hashmi to file a lawsuit in December 2025, citing AP reports from that period as evidence of ongoing surveillance.

Motivations: Legacy of Co-Plaintiff and Political Context

Hashmi’s decision stems from the loss of his father and co-plaintiff, Harlem Imam Talib Abdur-Rashid, who died in November 2025. Imam Talib had been a central figure in the original lawsuit, and Hashmi vowed to continue their fight to expose the NYPD’s targeting of Arab and Muslim communities across New York and beyond.

The resurgence of litigation aligns with Mamdani’s election, marking NYC’s first Muslim mayor. However, Hashmi expressed concerns over Mamdani’s choice to retain Jessica Tisch—formerly of the NYPD Intelligence Division—as police commissioner. “Her background raised immediate red flags,” Hashmi stated.

Ongoing Surveillance and Islamophobia

The NYPD’s post-9/11 “mosque-raking” program, which mapped ethnic enclaves and deployed undercover agents, was discredited after the department admitted it generated no terrorism leads. Yet, alleged ongoing surveillance persists: in early 2025, Muhammad Faridi, the civilian monitor of the NYPD’s consent decree, reported Muslim communities continue to face unannounced law enforcement interrogations.

Local officials have echoed these concerns. Queens Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, who previously called for “massive sweeps of Muslim neighborhoods” in a January 2026 op-ed, told reporters, “Islamophobia has no meaning—it’s not 2008.” Her rhetoric underscores persistent anti-Muslim sentiment, despite Mamdani’s 2025 funeral eulogy for Imam Talib, where he vowed to “continue the imam’s work.”

Echoes of Past Abuses

Hashmi’s allegations mirror FBI testimony from 2025, where a former official admitted the NYPD’s surveillance program was so “felonious” it dwarfed COINTELPRO-era abuses. “Why is the NYPD still defending itself against a simple FOIL request after 20 years?” Hashmi asked. “What are they hiding?”

The NYPD and Mamdani’s transition team did not respond to requests for comment.

Key Dates and Developments:

• 2006–2008: NYPD Intelligence Division targets Muslim communities.

• 2011: AP investigation exposes “mosque-raking” program via leaked documents.

• 2018: NYPD disbands demographics unit after settlement; Hashmi’s first lawsuit dismissed.

• 2025: Imam Talib dies; Hashmi files new FOIL requests and lawsuit.

• 2026: Mamdani elected mayor; Tisch retained as police commissioner; Paladino’s anti-Muslim rhetoric surfaces.

Hashmi’s lawsuit underscores unresolved questions about the NYPD’s accountability for past surveillance, and its potential to shape NYC’s future under Mamdani’s leadership.