Supreme Court weighs case involving FBI surveillance of Muslim community in California

Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday grappled with whether to allow a case brought by three Muslim men against the FBI to proceed, with the men arguing the federal government targeted them and their Southern California community for surveillance based on their religion. 

Across arguments spanning more than two hours, the justices seemed likely to issue a narrow ruling in the case known as FBI v. Fazaga, with some expressing concerns about the leeway the federal government has in keeping information from public view by invoking national security. A federal appeals court allowed claims brought by the California men to proceed, and the federal government asked the high court to review that decision. 

"The problem is that now the government takes a much stronger view of what state-secrets doctrine is," Justice Neil Gorsuch told Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler, who argued on behalf of the FBI.