In light of a large number of recent civil rights complaints involving Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA),CAIR-Washington staff was eager to attend a roundtable meeting with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and a number of leaders from Seattle's Somali community.
On January 27, 2011, agency representatives, CBP officers, Somali community members, and non-profit organizational representatives sat shoulder to shoulder around the room at Somali Community Services of Seattle located in Seattle's Rainier Valley area. A number of DHS agencies were represented, including CBP, TSA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The meeting commenced with introductions from each government agency, followed by time for questions and comments from community members.
Among the concerned community members were CAIR-Washington Board Vice-President Ahmed Scego and Civil Rights Coordinator Jennifer Gist. Ahmed opened with a thoughtful speech to government agencies, offering CAIR-Washington's services and diversity training to foster understanding and dialogue between government agencies and community members.
Though the roundtable meeting involved the usual misunderstandings and frustrations that occur when community members address government agencies with their personal stories, much of the discussion acknowledged the need for greater government transparency and communication between agencies and individuals.
Michele James, the Director of Field Operations at the Seattle Field Office, acknowledged the four civil rights complaint letters their office has received over the past month from CAIR-Washington, and commented that DHS takes allegations of racial or religious profiling very seriously. Jennifer will follow up with Michele in the coming month to schedule a meeting to discuss religious profiling and its impact on the Muslim community in Washington.