The Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MN), along with the CAIR Legal Defense Fund (CAIR LDF), has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for allegedly targeting Twin Cities labor organizer Janette Zahia Corcelius.
The lawsuit claims border agents unlawfully seized Corcelius’ property and searched her cell phone at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on April 30, 2026. The filing alleges agents had no lawful basis for their actions and were targeting Corcelius specifically for her advocacy for ICE divestment, violating her First and Fourth Amendment rights.
CAIR LDF attorney John Fossum said, "Across the country, we are seeing the Trump administration warp the federal government to attack its political opponents and undermine our constitutional rights. 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." CAIR-MN Civil Rights Director Alec Shaw added, "American Muslims are being targeted for the healthy criticism of their government—the most democratic action a citizen can take. We stand with Minnesotans and we stand with Ms. Corcelius today."
In related actions, CAIR called on the FBI to join the probe of an armed suspect chased from a Tennessee mosque site, citing escalating anti-Muslim hate. The organization also welcomed the dropping of charges against U.S. Capitol demonstrators protesting Israeli torture of Palestinian detainees, stating that "peaceful protest against human rights abuses should not result in imprisonment and serious criminal charges." Additionally, CAIR-SFBA welcomed a hate crime plea and sentencing for a man who threatened pro-Palestinian protesters, and CAIR-MA welcomed charges for an alleged racist attack on Hispanic diners.