Arab Americans Plan to Lobby in Washington

posted on: Apr 16, 2012

Arab Americans are meeting in the nation’s capital for several days of advocacy that include meeting lawmakers and Obama administration officials.

Organizers say the fourth annual Arab American National Advocacy Week on Monday through Thursday includes attending a White House policy briefing. The event is organized by the Dearborn-based National Network for Arab American Communities. It represents 23 organizations in 11 states.

Officials with the national network say the visit is intended to keep the voice of U.S. Arabs at the forefront of public debates dealing with health care, immigration and national security. They say they’re concerned about the passage of laws during the past decade that appear to encourage surveillance and profiling with the Arab-American community.