ANAHEIM — Two men of Palestinian descent, one from Southern California and one from Virginia, filed a lawsuit in federal court Monday with the Council on American-Islamic Relations challenging the terrorist watch list at airports, arguing they were targeted because of their criticism of the Gaza war.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Virginia against officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Defense, Department of State and other agencies. It was announced during press conferences in Washington and Anaheim.

WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/kfIcEMalvV

CAIR holds press conferences in DC and LA to announce a lawsuit against the federal government.

— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) 12 August 2024

Mustafa Zeidan, who lives in Southern California, said he was placed on a no-fly list, and Osama Abu Irshaid of Virginia said he is also on a watch list that causes airport security to check his phone on every flight, sometimes adding hours to the time it takes to board the plane.

Irshaid is “detained by federal agents every time he crosses the border,” the lawsuit says.

Irshaid was subjected to “humiliating questions about his legitimate affiliations and his work as the head of a nonprofit organization that advocates for Palestinian rights,” the lawsuit says. Authorities confiscated his phone and he was unable to get it back, the lawsuit says.

Zeidan said he was not allowed to fly at all and had to hire someone to care for his ailing 72-year-old mother in Jordan. She suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes, he said.

When he tried to board a plane on March 24, “I was shocked when airport security told me, without giving any reason, that I could not board the plane,” Zeidan said at a press conference at CAIR-LA’s offices in Anaheim.

“This situation makes me very worried for my mother, who depends on my care,” said Zeidan.

Zeidan said he felt “humiliated and distressed,” adding: “I am at a loss as to why I am suddenly being denied access. Could this be related to my recent activity? I have been protesting peacefully and legally against the genocide since October 7.”

Zeidan said he leads weekly demonstrations in the High Desert region of Southern California against Israel’s war against Hamas over the mass kidnappings and killings in Israel in October.

According to the FBI website, “The Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) keeps the American people safe by sharing terrorism-related information within the U.S. government and with other law enforcement agencies.”

“The TSC is committed to protecting privacy and civil liberties at all steps of the watchlist process. To place an individual on the watchlist, certain intelligence criteria must be met,” the website states.

The Orange County Register contributed to this story.