DEARBORN, Mich. — Eighteen months after the nation’s largest Arab American community helped propel Donald Trump to a second term as president, their prayers have not stopped.
In Dearborn, just outside of Detroit, families wait restlessly for word from relatives abroad, hoping for their safety while grieving for those already lost.
What began as anguish over the war in Gaza has widened. With a substantial Lebanese American population, the escalating conflict in Lebanon has rendered the crisis even more personal. This anxiety coincides with pressures at home, including heightened immigration enforcement and rising tensions after recent attacks.
The community now sees that it could have gotten worse — and it did, said Nabih Ayad, founder of the Arab American Civil Rights League. “But the community was just so desperate.”
The national spotlight once fixed on Dearborn during the 2024 election has dimmed, and mass protests have quieted. However, inside mosques and at vigils, conversations reveal a city still reeling and beginning to reckon with what comes next.
A community reckoning
Ayad joined other Arab American leaders for a conversation reflecting on the past year, expressing concern that life has not improved since Trump took office. Despite being courted by both major political parties, feelings of disenchantment loom.
Though many community leaders express frustration with both parties, few express real regret. Most acknowledge that Democrats did not provide a viable alternative, given Kamala Harris's alignment with President Joe Biden's policies.
I think November 3rd couldn’t come soon enough, noted Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun.
War with Iran Engulfs Lebanon
The recent military actions in the Middle East have not only affected regions far removed from the Midwest but have instead transformed communities across the country. The violence in Lebanon, including ongoing clashes with Hezbollah, has displaced over 1 million individuals and taken thousands of lives, affecting many families in Dearborn.
Inside Mosques and Outside Vigils
Vigils held in Dearborn Heights are a chilling reminder of the impact of these conflicts, as community members gather, united in grief. The pulpit resounds with calls for kindness and understanding, opposing the scorched-earth policies promoted by certain political leaders.
As the vigil unfolds, children participate with signs and photographs, sharing the haunting reality they face daily. “What we have witnessed is not just another headline. It is not distant. It is not abstract,” shared Suehaila Amen.
“We are a community in mourning,” she emphasized, a reflection felt deeply in the hearts of many during these troubled times.
