ADC Requests DOJ to Investigate City of Dearborn Heights for Violation of Voting Rights Act
Washington, DC | www.adc.org | July 25th, 2014 – Recently ADC was contacted by Arab Americans in Dearborn Heights, Michigan who raised complaints about voter suppression and intimidation by the City of Dearborn Heights Clerk’s Office. In response to these complaints, today the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) requested that the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) protect the Constitutional Right of Arab Americans in Dearborn Heights to vote. ADC has requested the DOJ immediately open an investigation into the actions of the City of Dearborn Heights Clerk Office handling of absentee ballots, voter registration, and treatment of Arab American voters. Further, ADC has requested that the City of Dearborn Heights process all absentee ballots immediately, and that the City Clerk be removed from his position.
ADC is outraged by the actions of the City of Dearborn Heights which violate Arab American residents’ fundamental right to vote. The City of Dearborn Heights, namely Clerk Walter J. Prusiewicz, deliberately prevented Arab American residents from voting for the upcoming elections, specifically the 5th Senate District and 11th House District election, which includes an Arab American candidate. ADC strongly believes that the actions by the City of Dearborn Heights, and their placement of restrictions on Arab American absentee ballots was discriminatorily motivated.
ADC-Michigan Director Attorney Fatina Abdrabboh said, “The fact that voter intimidation and voter bias exists 50 years after the Voting Rights Act was passed is shocking,” she continued, “Voting is a cornerstone of democracy and Arab-Americans will not stand by and allow this fundamental right to be violated by any city government anywhere.”
If ADC’s concerns are not sufficiently addressed, we are prepared to pursue all necessary legal action to uphold the Voting Rights Act. Since its inception ADC has dedicated itself to fighting for the civil rights of Arab Americans and will continue to do so.
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