(DETROIT, MI) — A Detroit area Lebanese-American businessman is suing the U.S. government for what he calls unfair targeting based on his Arab American race.
Dearborn resident Nasser Beydoun says he’s on a government “selectee” list that requires him to undergo secondary checks and questioning every time he tries to fly.
“We’re just fighting for our God-given rights that the constitution guarantees us … and to make sure government doesn’t become obtrusive and denies the rights of people without giving them the due process,” said Nasser Beydoun, a Muslim and former chairman and director of Arab American Chamber of Commerce.
Beydoun says his status doesn’t allow him to check in online for flights, his bags get screened, and TSA agents have to call the Terrorist Screening Center before Beydoun boards a plane.
“This happens every single time,” Beydoun said.
Beydoun says he’s never been told why he’s on a watch list, but that he’s being unfairly targeted because he’s Arab American.
“I don’t have any connections to known terrorists or associate with terrorists or support terrorists or sympathize with terrorists,” he said.
Efforts to clear his name with the Department of Homeland Security have gone nowhere, according to Beydoun.
That’s why he wants to take the government to court.
The class action lawsuit filed on Friday names U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and the heads of the FBI and Terrorist Screening Center.
“People might say, ‘Hey, look. He’s an Arab. Maybe he’s a terrorist.’ We’re not gonna fall for that. We’re gonna basically fight for our rights because when we fight for our rights were fighting for everybody else’s rights,” Beydoun said.
Beydoun says he’s willing to represent thousands of other Arab Americans in metro Detroit and across the country in his fight for due process and transparency from the government.