We are devastated by the deadly attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego and grieve alongside the families of the victims and the broader Muslim community. At the same time, we recognize that this horrific act was an attack on the safety, dignity, and humanity of all of us. Every person deserves to worship, gather, and live without fear. The harsh reality is that anti-Muslim hatred is not confined to the fringes of American society. It is rampant within our culture and our dominant political and media institutions. It is reinforced every day within our political discourse, and the silence that too often accompanies the demonization of Muslim and Arab Americans. Despite our grief, we are not surprised that the normalization of this hatred has yielded deadly consequences time and time again. We call on our political leaders to treat this deadly threat with the seriousness it deserves, and to reflect on how racist and Islamophobic narratives used to justify our war policies abroad also grant permission for violence at home. Hatred has no borders, and we must universally reject all forms of hate and the deadly violence they inevitably produce.

On behalf of Arab Americans for Progress, we extend our deepest condolences on the passing of civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson. Our hearts are with his family, loved ones, and the generations of organizers and freedom fighters who carry forward his legacy as we navigate this profound moment of loss. Through the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and a lifetime of leadership, he expanded the meaning of civil and human rights, insisting that dignity, political power, and economic justice must belong to all people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Reverend Jackson lived that hope. He challenged war, poverty, racism, and exclusion, and he opened doors for communities who had long been pushed to the margins to see themselves as part of a shared struggle for justice. May his family find comfort in the outpouring of love from the countless lives he touched. And may we honor his legacy not only in words, but in our continued commitment to building the broad, people-powered movements for freedom and equality that he so fiercely believed in. -AAP Organization

Endorsement alert!

This is not just an immigration issue. It’s about abuse of power, racial profiling, and erosion of civil liberties. When enforcement expands when out accountability, everyone’s rights are at risk.

While our president is commenting on the brutal attacks against protesters in Iran by their government, he’s encouraging attacks against his own citizens here in the U.S.

Expanded authority without accountability has led to more use-of-force incidents, wrongful detention, and dangerous enforcement policies.

Asylum and visa protections have been restricted, expedited removals expanded, and due process weakened, putting families at risk.

U.S. citizens have also been stopped, questioned, and detained. And in some cases killed by federal agents. Racial and ethnic profiling is driving enforcement.

Immigrants who live here, work here, pay taxes here, and have no criminal record are being targeted under expanded enforcement policies.

Under these orders, ICE now operates far behind the border, in neighborhoods, schools and public spaces, increasing civilian encounters and risk.

Executive orders don’t create new laws. But they decide how aggressively laws are enforced, where enforcement happens, and who is targeted.

Executive orders are being used to dramatically expand immigration enforcement and its’s resulting in an abuse of executive power that harms immigrants and U.S. citizens.

We’re here to tell our stories, grow our leaders, stand with our allies and make sure that Arab Americans are heard at every level of politics starting right here in Michigan.

From a moment to a movement. The work continues. Join us. aaforprogress.org