(AP) New Mexico Homeland Security officials recently asked an Iranian American cultural group in the state if they’ve seen any suspicious activities — an inquiry the group president said raises eyebrows.
Iranian Cultural Society of New Mexico President Azadeh Mehrnoush told the Associated Press the agency sent the group an email and asked them to report unusual episodes to authorities amid tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
The Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management said in a statement that they wanted to make sure that they were engaged with community representatives in case any issues develop around threats or hate crimes.
But Mehrnoush said she didn’t feel the email was an attempt to check on New Mexico Iranian Americans about discrimination but rather seek information about nefarious actions by Iranian Americans.
