Three women who were arrested during a pro-Palestine protest at Dallas Love Field airport in January are taking legal action against Dallas County, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, and three unnamed Dallas County correctional officers. The women claim that they were instructed to remove their hijabs, or head scarves, for booking photos while in custody, which they argue violated their First Amendment right to exercise their religion and caused emotional distress, humiliation, and embarrassment.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, alleges that the booking photos, which appeared in an NBC5 article and were shared with agencies including the Texas Board of Law Examiners, were later removed from the story by NBC5.

A spokesperson for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation, while a representative for Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins did not respond to a request for comment.

The three women involved in the lawsuit are Donia El-Hussain and Tamera Hutcherson of Dallas County, and Nidaa Lafi of Collin County. The legal action seeks to address the alleged violation of their religious rights and the emotional distress caused by the incident.

Stay updated with the latest breaking news from North Texas.