New Jersey Democrats Press White House On Muslim Mayor Disinvited From Biden Event

Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, who has served as the mayor for over 17 years, said he believes he was racially profiled.
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Democratic lawmakers from New Jersey sent a letter to the White House and the U.S. Secret Service on Wednesday demanding they explain why a Muslim mayor was blocked from attending an event hosted by President Joe Biden.

Prospect Park, New Jersey, Mayor Mohamed Khairullah was invited to the White House for a reception Monday celebrating Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. But according to Khairullah, the longest-serving Muslim mayor in the state, the Secret Service called him as he was set to arrive and informed him that he hadn’t received the clearance required to enter the premises.

New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell and Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker requested “a detailed explanation of what occurred and why” in the letter, which was addressed to Secret Service and White House officials.

“We also urge you to provide Mayor Khairullah with the substantive reasons he was denied admission and urge you to initiate a review of Mayor Khairullah’s status so that in the future he may be able to attend events and represent his constituents at the People’s House,” the letter continues.

A Secret Service spokesperson confirmed on Monday evening that the mayor had not been permitted to attend the event.

“While we regret any inconvenience this may have caused, the mayor was not permitted to enter the White House complex for this evening’s event,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement shared with multiple news outlets.

The White House did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

Khairullah, who has served as the mayor of Prospect Park for over 17 years, said he believes he was racially profiled. His name appeared on a leaked 2019 Department of Homeland Security “No-Fly” List; the same year, the mayor said he and his and his family were detained at JFK airport and asked if he knew terrorists. It’s unclear whether he is on a watchlist or why.

Khairullah said in a statement that he appreciated the support he had received from lawmakers, but he added that “it’s important to note that this issue goes beyond an invitation to the White House, or even myself as an individual.”

“There are at least 1.5 million people on that watchlist, the majority of whom have Muslim and/or Arab names,” he said. “It’s a disgrace that these sorts of lists exist, especially because there is no actual recourse for people like myself who are blacklisted. I ask the Biden administration to do what’s right and dismantle these lists entirely.”

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