New York City to pay $17.5 million to settle suit over forcing women to remove hijabs for mug shots

New York City will pay $17.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit over forcing women to remove hijabs for mug shots, their lawyers and advocates said in a statement on Friday. 

More than 3,600 in the class action lawsuit will be eligible for payments of approximately $7,000 to $13,000 nearly four years after the police agreed to change their policy on religious head coverings. 

The settlement needs to be approved by the federal judge overseeing the case.