Arar v. Ashcroft Case

The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit will rehear the case Arar v. Ashcroft, after a majority of the court voted to hear the case in front of all 12 judges. Although the court did not explain why it is reopening the case, the decision follows months of congressional inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Maher Arar’s removal. Arar claims the US government violated the Torture Victim Prevention Act and participated in "extraordinary rendition" when it detained him at JFK International Airport in New York and deported him to Jordan. Arar has stated that as a result of these actions, he was imprisoned and tortured in Syria for almost a year. In dismissing the Arar lawsuit in June, the court held that Arar was not entitled to US constitutional protections because he had not been technically "admitted" into the United States. The new hearing is scheduled for December.