SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 11: Hundreds of people protested in San Francisco on Friday against a programme requiring men from 20 Muslim countries to register with the INS authorities.

The demonstration, organized by the American Muslim organizations and civil right groups, marked the deadline for the second phase of the INS registration for men from Afghanistan and 12 other Muslim countries. The protesters carried banners and shouted slogans against the programme, describing it as a racial profiling.

Civil liberties advocates say the programme is an inefficient way to find terrorists and will alienate people who can help the government. Allegations that innocent people were arrested during the first phase of the registration in December have led to demands for a Justice Department investigation.

An INS spokesman said steps were being taken to avoid large-scale detentions like those last month. “It does appear the process was not as smooth as we would have liked it to have been,” he said.

Meanwhile, a US judge has refused to bar the arrests and deportation of illegal immigrants who register with the INS.

Attorneys for many Middle Eastern immigrants and civil rights groups had sought a temporary restraining order to protect some undocumented immigrants who have filed residency applications. They were hoping to stop the arrests and deportation of people who came to the United States on visa waivers and were applying for residency.

But Santa Ana District Court Judge Alicemarie H. Stotler refused to intervene, citing the federal court system’s general lack of jurisdiction in immigration matters.

Feb 21 is set as deadline for Saudis and Pakistanis.