(Detroit Free Press) The week before Donald Trump was inaugurated last year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded a Lebanese-American group in Dearborn $500,000 as part of a government effort to counter violent extremism known as CVE. The department also gave Dearborn Police $51,000 as part of the program.
But the grants drew backlash from Arab-American and civil rights advocates who worried the money stereotyped Arab-Americans and Muslims and could be used for surveillance.
A week after Trump became president, the Dearborn group, Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities, formerly known as the Lebanese American Heritage Club (LAHC), turned down the half-a-million-dollar grant. Other Arab-American and Muslim groups across the U.S., such as the Somali-American community in Minnesota, also turned down grants, saying they were being singled out for discussions about violent extremism.
