A senior officer with the Department of Homeland Security reassured local Muslims and Arab-Americans today that they would not be profiled in the aftermath of Osama bin Laden’s death.
At a meeting today in Dearborn Heights with federal law enforcement, Arab-American and Muslim leaders voiced concerns that they would be profiled as authorities look out for any potential reprisal attacks related to bin Laden’s killing. There’s a concern that it “could lead to increased profiling,” said Dawud Walid, head of the Michigan branch of the Council of American-Islamic Relations, who attended today’s meeting at a school.
But Margo Schlanger, national head of the office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Department of Homeland Security, said at the meeting of about 80 people that the government would not have extra scrutiny of anyone, including Muslims, said Walid and others who attended the meeting. She added that the federal terror alert is at the same level now as it was before bin Laden’s death.
The meeting was a previously scheduled gathering that’s part of the BRIDGES program, created in metro Detroit after bin Laden’s Sept. 11 attacks to promote cooperation between federal law enforcement and Arab-Americans. After bin Laden’s death, the FBI said it was looking into any potential revenge attacks, but it added that the agency does not have any information on specific plans.
“We’re on the same page when it comes to safety and security,” said Imad Hamad, who co-founded BRIDGES as regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
The meeting today was also attended by Special Agent in Charge of Detroit FBI Andrew Arena, US Attorney for Eastern Michigan Barbara McQuade, and the local heads of other government agencies. There was also discussion at the meeting about alleged profiling at the Detroit-Windsor border and the use of informants in Muslim communities.