Iqbal v. Hasty
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
490 F.3d 143 (2007)
Javaid Iqbal (plaintiff), a Muslim Pakistani, was arrested by the FBI on fraud-related charges and detained at a federal facility, where he was placed for a time in a special maximum-security unit before returning to the general population. Iqbal sued his jailors and federal officials (defendants), alleging he was designated a high-interest detainee and mistreated - including being beaten and denied food - solely because of his race and religion, and the defendants moved to dismiss on qualified immunity grounds; the lower court denied the motion, and the defendants appealed.
Whether claims that a person was specifically targeted for mistreatment and detention solely based on race, religion, and national origin are sufficient to state a claim of animus-based discrimination.