The Arab American News
Author's Posts
Ending Birthright Citizenship would cost U.S. economy $7.7 trillion
April 24th, 20260 By Sunita Sohrabji President Trump’s ban on birthright citizenship — which the Supreme Court is currently considering — would create a permanent underclass of stateless children and a brain drain as highly-skilled workers from abroad choose countries with more stable paths for them and their families. A proposed ban on...
ACRL announces unprecedented federal class-action lawsuit against the U.S. government over destruction of Lebanese American property abroad
April 24th, 20260 DEARBORN — In what organizers described as the first lawsuit of its kind in the United States, the Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL) announced during a large press conference held Monday at the Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn its intention to file a federal class-action lawsuit against the U.S. government on behalf of...
Dearborn schools name three finalists for superintendent; community input to shape final decision
April 18th, 20260 DEARBORN — The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education has selected three finalists in its search for the district’s next superintendent following a special meeting held Saturday, April 18. The finalists are Thomas Ahart, former superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools; Mike Esseily, executive director of special populations...
Yemeni immigrant hailed as hero after saving teen from armed kidnapper
April 17th, 20260 HAMTRAMCK — A Yemeni immigrant working at a gas station in Detroit on April 13 is being hailed as a hero after rescuing a 16-year-old Arab American girl who had been kidnapped at gunpoint earlier that morning in a terrifying incident that has shaken the community. The suspect, Donald James Joseph Arthur Fields, 48, was taken into...
Six candidates advance in Dearborn Schools’ superintendent search, final selection on May 4
April 17th, 20260 DEARBORN — The Dearborn Public Schools Board of Education has selected six candidates to move forward in its search for the district’s next superintendent, narrowing a pool of 23 applicants during a special meeting held April 9. The candidates — representing a mix of internal leadership, regional administrators and out-of-state...
David Knezek named seventh president of Henry Ford College after national search
April 17th, 20260 DEARBORN — The Board of Trustees of Henry Ford College announced during a public meeting on April 10 the appointment of David Knezek, chief operating officer at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, as the college’s next president, succeeding interim president Dr. Lori Gonko. Knezek, a former Michigan state senator...
Trump’s threat to “wipe out” Iran triggers Democratic uproar, impeachment debate
April 10th, 20260 Washington, D.C. – President Trump’s threat to wipe out Iran — warning that “an entire civilization” could be destroyed — has triggered one of the most intense waves of Democratic backlash in his second term, reigniting calls for his removal from office. Within hours of the remarks, dozens of Democratic lawmakers publicly...
Immigration board denies Mahmoud Khalil’s appeal, deportation risk grows
April 10th, 20260 NEW YORK – An immigration appeals board has denied Mahmoud Khalil’s latest bid to dismiss his deportation case, a largely expected ruling that brings the former Columbia University graduate student and Palestinian activist one step closer to re-arrest and possible expulsion. The Board of Immigration Appeals issued the final order...
Sending money to loved ones shouldn’t cost a fortune — or a risk
April 10th, 20260 By Abdul El-Sayed Every year, Arab Americans send billions of dollars to support family members abroad — to Teta in Beirut, Amu in Cairo or Khalo in Baghdad. These remittances can be lifelines. They cover rent, provide for school fees and underwrite medical bills. They are acts of love via Western Union. But sending that money is...
In Birthright case, a “fight for the soul of democracy”
April 4th, 20260 By Edward Kissam Wednesday’s Supreme Court case on birthright citizenship is, on its face, about the “inalienable” right of U.S.-born children to be U.S. citizens under the 14th Amendment, a right enshrined in the Constitution with roots extending back to early 17th Century English common law. At its core, the case,...
ACRL condemns misleading and dangerous framing by the Detroit News, community voices won’t be silenced
April 4th, 20260 The Arab American Civil Rights League (ACRL) strongly condemned the recent article published by the Detroit News and authored by George Hunter, which irresponsibly conflates constitutionally protected speech with criminal conduct and perpetuates harmful, stigmatizing narratives about the Arab and Muslim community in Metro Detroit. This...
AHRC calls for responsible journalism: Let us avoid painting with a broad brush
April 4th, 20260 The American Human Rights Council (AHRC‑USA) expresses deep concern regarding the intent and the possible negative backlash of the recent Detroit News article written by George Hunter and published on March 25, 2026, titled “Temple Israel fuels debate about Hezbollah threat in Detroit area.” The article’s framing, purpose and...
Finley’s irresponsible selective outrage targets the Arab American community
April 4th, 20261 Barely had the ink dried on the inflammatory report by George Hunter, published in the Detroit News on Thursday, March 26 — a piece that deliberately vilified Arab and Muslim communities across Metro Detroit in the wake of the March 12 attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield — when the same newspaper resurfaced days later with...
Nationwide “No Kings” protests surge, with Michigan rallies reflecting growing opposition to Trump
April 4th, 20260 DETROIT — The United States witnessed its largest wave of protests against Donald Trump since his return to the White House on the final Saturday of March, as more than 3,200 demonstrations took place nationwide, including roughly 100 marches across Michigan alone. More than 8 million people turned out at the "No Kings" protests across...
Mysterious respiratory illness barrels through U.S. without vaccine or cure
March 27th, 20260 By Sunita Sohrabji American Community Media The U.S. is experiencing a dramatic surge in human metapneumovirus — HMPV — a little-known respiratory illness, which currently has no vaccine or antiviral treatment. Northern California and several states on the East Coast are experiencing a dramatic surge in human......
Accusations of incitement: The Detroit News targets the Arab American community
March 27th, 20260 On Thursday, the Detroit News published a report that can, without exaggeration, be described as a blatant example of inciting journalism that abandons even the most basic professional standards and ethics. Media incitement and manufactured fear The article’s author, George Hunter, constructed a narrative rooted in collective...
Steak at the top – The politics behind America’s new food guidelines
March 20th, 20260 By Sunita Sohrabji American Community Media The government’s newly released federal food pyramid flips decades of nutrition guidance upside down. The guidelines are drawing sharp criticism from leading experts who say the emphasis on meat and full-fat dairy could adversely impact the health of Americans and further contribute to......
MAGA divide deepens as top official resigns over Iran war driven by Israeli pressure
March 20th, 20260 WASHINGTON — In the first major rupture within President Trump’s administration over the war on Iran, National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent resigned from his post Tuesday, declaring that he could no longer support the conflict and accusing Israel of misleading the United States into war. Joe Kent becomes the first...
U.S.–Israel war on Iran enters fourth week amid stalemate, energy crisis and rising regional risks
March 20th, 20260 WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S.–Israel war against Iran has entered its fourth week without achieving any meaningful breakthrough in subduing the Islamic Republic, while no clear path toward a near-term resolution has emerged. Instead, fears are mounting over widening regional consequences and escalating global risks, as President Trump...
Gonko’s exit leaves four candidates in Henry Ford College’s presidential search
March 20th, 20260 DEARBORN — The list of finalists for the presidency of Henry Ford College in Dearborn has narrowed to four candidates following the withdrawal of Interim President Dr. Lori Gonko, who was selected on Wednesday to lead Macomb Community College, effective in June. With Gonko’s departure, the final slate now includes Wayne County...
Dearborn to host major community fundraiser for displaced families in Lebanon
March 20th, 20260 DEARBORN — Under the patronage of the Lebanese consul general of Lebanon in Detroit, Ibrahim Khalil Charara, and with the participation of a broad coalition of local organizations, the Bint Jebail Cultural Center will host a major solidarity and fundraising event for Lebanon on Sunday, March 22. The event will take place at the......
U.N. Security Council condemns Iran’s regional attacks as war spreads; Russia and China abstain
March 13th, 20260 The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution condemning Iranian missile and drone attacks on several Gulf states as the rapidly escalating war between Iran, Israel and the United States spreads across the Middle East, raising fears of a broader regional confrontation and a global economic shock. The resolution —...
Hamtramck begins search for new city clerk after firing Rana Faraj amid election controversy
March 13th, 20260 The city of Hamtramck has begun the process of searching for a new city clerk after firing former clerk Rana Faraj for what officials described as a “failure to maintain professionalism, integrity and neutrality” in her role overseeing the city’s election process. The decision came after investigators discovered a boxing bag......
Synagogue attack in West Bloomfield draws strong condemnation from Arab American leaders
March 13th, 20260 WEST BLOOMFIELD – Arab American leaders and community organizations across Metro Detroit swiftly condemned an attack targeting a Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield that ended with the death of the suspected attacker, a Dearborn Heights resident of Lebanese descent. The incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Thursday at Temple Israel,...
Tennessee congressman sparks outrage with anti-Muslim rant
March 13th, 20260 WASHINGTON, D.C. — A Tennessee Republican congressman is facing widespread condemnation after posting a series of anti-Muslim statements on social media declaring that “Muslims don’t belong in American society”, remarks that civil rights advocates say reflect a troubling rise in Islamophobic rhetoric in U.S. politics. U.S. Rep.......
