Members of the local Arab-American community are demanding answers tonight after an online publication posted a controversial report.
The leaked document lists Dearborn as the No. 2 city in the country for having people on the federal government’s terror watch list.
“The Intercept” allegedly obtained a top secret document - suggesting Dearborn is second only to New York City.
Activists in Dearborn, which is made up of between 38-40 percent Arab-Americans, want to know how and why their city has been classified this way.
“This is unfortunate for this community,” said Nabih Ayad, chairman of the Arab-American Civil Rights League. “These numbers are totally fabricated, unfounded, unfair and unjust to this community.”
Intercept, an online magazine released what they call “top secret” documents from the federal government. Those documents rank Dearborn second in the nation for people with ties to violence and anti-American sentiments.
The report has angered many Arab-Americans who say they already feel discriminated against in post 9/11 America.
A coalition of civil rights organizations sent a letter to Congressman John Conyers asking for an inquiry into the claims.
According to the report, as of 2013 there were nearly 21,000 Americans and non-Americans permanently living in the US who were believed to be known or suspected terrorists.
The report reveals the scope of secret terror monitoring practices in the US and the number of people on controversial “watch lists”. Critics say names are added to the lists without due process or vetting.
New York, a city of more than 8 million ranked first among cities with the most “known or suspected” terrorists in the United States. Dearborn’s population is about 96,000.
The document did not specify how many people were known or suspected terrorists in each city.