Ishtiaq Ahmed, a 41-year-old Pakistani American taxi driver from Brooklyn, is suing the New York Police Department in federal court as he is demanding unspecified compensation and punitive damages for the upheaval the NYPD caused him and his family, writes George Joseph in today’s story, published in partnership with THE CITY.
Ahmed was arrested last year while volunteering at the Makki Masjid Muslim Community Center in Brooklyn for Jummah prayers — a busy weekly gathering.
Some background: It was Ahmed’s responsibility to limit the number of worshippers in each prayer room to adhere to social distancing guidelines. So he allowed NYPD liaison Raja Gul, NYPD Inspector Richie Taylor, and another elderly Pakistani man into the main prayer space of the New York mosque. He then stuck out his hand, blocking the remaining community members and an NYPD community affairs officer from entering.
It’s clear from CCTV videos that there was no physical interaction between Ahmed and any of the community members. But he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking one of the community members who accompanied the officers into the mosque.
Police records show Officer Natasha Moseley-Jones filed a report against Ahmed, claiming another congregant reported that he “grabbed” his arm and “shoved him out of the mosque” while the man was attempting to go inside to pray. Less than three months after his arrest, Brooklyn prosecutors dropped the case for lack of evidence.
Ahmed faced several repercussions from the NYPD arrest as his New York taxi license was suspended while he was facing charges. He told Documented last month that the allegations destroyed his life and maintains his innocence. He claims New York law enforcement officials fabricated the claims, and he never would have imagined the NYPD would do such in the U.S.
Also Read: Outrage Over an Arrest Leads Mosque to Reevaluate Relationship with NYPD
New Updates: Internal Brooklyn District Attorney records show that Ahmed’s arrest is not the first time questions have been raised about Moseley-Jones’s paperwork and attitude. The investigations in the latest article disclose important information about her work history in 2008 and 2014. THE CITY’s investigations also reveal Ahmed’s arrest is not the first time the mosque has been on the NYPD’s radar. Find out more in the full report.
STORIES WE ARE FOLLOWING
New York
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Documented’s coverage of Bronx apartment fire nominated for two Impact Awards: The stories were nominated by the Institute for Nonprofit News and Local Independent Online News Publishers. — Read more
Around the U.S.
Newborns drive growth of U.S. Hispanic population as immigration figures slow: New York (3.9 million) and Arizona (2.4 million) have the largest Hispanic populations, while North and South Dakota have seen the fastest rates of growth in Hispanic populations. — Pew Research
GEO group wins challenge to California’s ban on for-profit ICE jails: The federal ruling says California “cannot exert this level of control over the federal government’s detention operations.” Advocates maintain Biden can still end the use of private prisons. — Los Angeles Times
DeSantis’ migrant flights reportedly annoyed fellow Republicans: Texas’ Gov. Greg Abbott has not publicly criticized Florida’s migrant flights from his state, but his team was reportedly annoyed because no one was given a heads up. — The New York Times
Opinion — Ron DeSantis is making an asylum crisis of his own: By insisting that the status quo is “open borders,” Republican governors are implying their condemnation of the right to asylum without directly calling for its repeal, writes a columnist. — New York Times
More Cubans traveling to the U.S. by sea than any time since the 1990s: Cubans have been fleeing the island for years, but recent unrest, persecution, and shortages of basic goods have pushed more to leave. — CNN
Washington D.C.
Government employees allege retaliation after raising concerns about unaccompanied migrant children: A government watchdog’s report says the punishments “effectively scar[ed] staff into withholding any complaints or reports of wrongdoing.” — Reuters
Homeland Security extends and redesignates Burma for TPS: Burmese (Myanmarese) nationals are unable to safely return home due to military abuses. TPS beneficiaries must re-register and those in the U.S. as of Sept. 25, 2022 can apply for the first time. — Read more
White House hosts meeting to begin coordinated Western efforts on migrants: The event was a follow-up to the Summit of the Americas, when 21 nations agreed to create better conditions in their countries to reduce migration to the U.S. — CNN
