NEW YORK (AP) — Two arrested Muslim women who said the police department forced them to remove their religious head coverings and pose for mugshots sued the city on Friday to try to change the practice.

The women and an advocacy group, Turning Point for Women and Families, are seeking class action status with the Manhattan federal court lawsuit.

“Requiring a Muslim woman to remove her hijab in public is akin to demanding that a secular person strip naked in front of strangers,” said the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and a declaration that the city’s handling of police photographs is unconstitutional.

The city’s law office said it would review the lawsuit.

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