Michigan Democrat Acknowledges Sister-In-Law's Terror Watchlist Lawsuit Ahead of Obama Visit
Abdul El-Sayed confirmed his sister-in-law was part of a federal lawsuit challenging her placement on the terror watchlist during the Obama administration.
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed confirmed that his sister-in-law was involved in a federal lawsuit challenging her placement on the Terrorist Screening Database, commonly known as the terrorist watchlist, during the Obama administration. The acknowledgment comes days before former President Barack Obama is scheduled to campaign alongside El-Sayed in Michigan.
El-Sayed was questioned by Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin about court documents identifying his sister-in-law, Mariam Jukaku, as a plaintiff in a 2016 lawsuit. El-Sayed responded, "Yeah," when asked if his sister-in-law had been on the terrorist watchlist.
El-Sayed defended his sister-in-law, stating she had committed no wrongdoing. "She did nothing wrong and was captured on that and then sued and got off," El-Sayed said. He criticized the system, suggesting that individuals are presumed guilty until proven innocent due to their names and the infrastructure established by figures like his Republican opponent, Mike Rogers.
According to the 2016 complaint, Jukaku alleged she underwent additional airport screening in 2012 and was never informed why she had been flagged. The lawsuit claimed she was believed to have been removed from the watchlist by 2016. El-Sayed asserted that she sued and won, but a federal appeals court overturned a ruling favoring the plaintiffs in 2021. A separate lawsuit seeking damages was dismissed in 2017.
The FBI does not confirm or deny individuals' inclusion on the watchlist. "It is the U.S. government’s policy to neither confirm nor deny a person’s inclusion in the Terrorist Screening Dataset, commonly known as the terrorist watchlist," the agency told Fox News.
The exchange follows previous allegations regarding El-Sayed's family's alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which his campaign has called "racist and untrue." Rogers has described these allegations as "disqualifying."
The lawsuit itself does not establish wrongdoing by Jukaku or El-Sayed.