On March 21, 2003, KARAMAH joined other groups and concerned individuals outside the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) office in Arlington, Virginia. The aim of those gathered was to monitor the INS National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS) special call in registration of men from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

KARAMAH was part of an effort to gather basic information about the registrants as they entered the building and to interview them about their experiences as they left. INS officials gave the monitors at that location a tour of the building, showing them the registration process.

A senior INS official informed us that 70 men had registered that day, out of which 16 were detained. Many of the men who were temporarily detained that day complained of mistreatment either by the INS, the investigative Bureau of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (INV) or the jail officials. One man reported that he was handcuffed and put into a very small room with many other men. They were not served a meal until much later in the day, and that the meal consisted of pork, a food forbidden to Muslims. Some of the men who were detained complained of very harsh and demeaning language/treatment. However, there were a few men who did not have the same complaints and were satisfied with the process. Our exit interviews with the detained men indicated that almost all of them were detained because they had applications pending and were, thus, technically out of status.

KARAMAH discussed this information with a senior INS officer who encouraged KARAMAH to write a letter to the INS detailing the complaints and problems reported to KARAMAH.