This lawsuit was actually filed in 2018 by two Muslim women, Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz. They stated that they felt ashamed and traumatized when the police forced them to remove their hijabs for their mugshot photos in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Clark and Arwa were previously arrested for allegedly violating protective orders that they considered unfounded.

Their lawyer described the experience of taking off the hijab as similar to being subjected to a 'naked' examination. Clark stated that the incident made her feel exposed and morally violated.

"Previously, there was indeed a rule for men and women to remove their religious attributes before being photographed by the police. In response to this lawsuit, the NYPD updated their policy back in 2020. The policy allows men and women to wear head coverings during mugshot photography, as long as their faces remain visible."

This new policy also includes other religious head coverings such as wigs and yarmulkes, as well as turbans worn by Syeikh. However, the New York Police Department (NYPD) still has the authority to temporarily remove head coverings for security checks, although it must be done privately and by officers of the corresponding gender.

After going through a long trial process, the court decided that the New York government is obligated to pay the two hijabers a compensation worth $17.5 million or equivalent to Rp278 billion. The payment will amount to approximately $13.1 million or around Rp208 billion after deducting administrative and legal fees. Source: The Guardian.com.