DEARBORN – Under the slogan of what he calls an “American Crusade” to ban Islamic law and “protect Christians”, little-known Republican gubernatorial candidate Anthony Hudson has called for a protest march in Dearborn on November 18.

Hudson, a truck driver who markets himself as a conservative, pro-Trump candidate, is using rising online hostility toward the Arab and Muslim majority city to draw attention to his otherwise insignificant campaign.

Hudson first made Dearborn a political target during a late- October televised Republican debate with five other GOP contenders. He falsely accused the city of enforcing sharia law and vowed to deploy the Michigan National Guard to Dearborn “to protect residents from sharia law and all the nonsense happening there.”

“I was the only candidate on stage who condemned sharia law,” Hudson wrote later on X.

He warned GOP voters of a supposed “problem” inside the Michigan Republican Party.

Hudson has repeatedly, and falsely, accused Dearborn of imposing Islamic law and oppressing Christians. As “evidence”, he cites a September City Council meeting where Mayor Abdullah Hammoud openly confronted a Christian extremist preacher who had accused The Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani of terrorism following Wayne County’s decision to name a section of East Warren Avenue in Siblani’s honor.

These claims, circulated widely by fringe online circles, have no basis in reality. Dearborn has no laws rooted in sharia, and the city has far more churches than mosques, along with bars, nightclubs and numerous liquor stores.

A “peaceful” march, on paper

“This will be a peaceful march,” Hudson wrote in his initial call on November 2. “Your religious freedom will be preserved. Religious freedom will not be interpreted as permission to persecute Christians. Sharia law will be banned. The people of Michigan will be protected.

“On November 18, my fellow patriots, pastors and freedom fighters will go to Dearborn,”  he added. “We will tell the mayor that when I become governor, sharia law will end, the 5:30 a.m. call to prayer will stop and you will never — and I mean never — speak to a pastor the way you did on September 9.”

Hudson, who moved from Texas to Michigan in 2012, promised “When I win, I will ban the implementation of sharia law.”

He described the event as a “crusade to stop this nonsense”, calling it the “largest Christian protest in Michigan history.”

He said the march will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Michigan Avenue and Schaefer Road, proceeding roughly two miles west to Dearborn City Hall, where he plans to deliver a speech before the 7 p.m. City Council meeting.

“I will go and say a few words in front of the mayor,” Hudson said in a video posted on X.

“We will not block streets,”  he added. “We will not shout religious comments at people. We are simply walking to show that we are not afraid to enter any city, and that we want to bring people together.”

Dearborn police respond

Dearborn Police confirmed they are aware of the planned demonstration.

“As is customary for events like this in Dearborn, we are in communication with the organizers and fully prepared to ensure a peaceful and safe afternoon for everyone involved,” Police spokesperson Daniel Barton said in a written statement.

In a later video, Hudson claimed he initially expected only a few friends and supporters but was “surprised” by the level of interest and now anticipates “thousands” to join.

Riding the wave of anti-Muslim incitement

Despite branding the protest as peaceful and focused on religious freedom, Hudson’s rhetoric targets an entire religious community and openly stokes Islamophobia for political gain.

Hudson is running in the August 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary under the slogans “Fix Michigan” and “Make Michigan Great Again.”

But he faces overwhelming odds against leading Republicans, including:

• U.S. Rep. John James

• Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt

• Former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard

• Former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox

Analysts say Hudson’s statements reflect a broader rise in weaponizing religion and identity in American politics, and build on months of intensifying anti-Dearborn rhetoric, including recent federal raids that culminated in the arrest of three local young men on allegations of planning attacks inspired by ISIS.

Hudson exploited the arrests in a later post,

“Do you think this is related to sharia law in Dearborn?” he asked. “Yes, I think so.”

Dearborn officials continue to emphasize that the city is a national model of multiculturalism, coexistence and interfaith engagement.

Reactions to Hudson’s posts on X have been mixed, with supporters calling him a defender of Christian values, while critics accused him of spreading hate speech and targeting Muslims.