NEW YORK (AP) — Five immigrant men who were detained in roundups and eventually deported following the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 have reached a $1.26 million settlement with the U.S. government.
The men were part of a lawsuit against the government over the roundups that put them in federal detention and the abuse they say they suffered while they were there.
Rachel Meeropol of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents the detainees, said the men were treated as terrorists simply because they are Arab and Muslim. She said she hoped the settlement would act as a deterrent to prevent similar government practices.
The Justice Department had no immediate comment.
