America’s first Muslim city sued: 'Treat Christians and Jews as equals'

A federal lawsuit filed this week accuses the city of Dearborn, Michigan, and Mayor Abdullah Hammoud of violating a resident’s constitutional rights by funding Ramadan decorations while allegedly failing to recognize requests for similar displays marking Easter and Passover.

Journalist Margot Cleveland of The Federalist filed the lawsuit with representation from the American Freedom Law Center. The complaint alleges violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution.

Dearborn, where approximately 55% of residents are of Middle Eastern descent, is home to one of the largest Arab American communities in the United States. Hammoud became the city’s first Muslim mayor after his election in 2021.

According to the complaint, the city spent thousands of dollars expanding municipal Ramadan decorations but did not respond equally to requests for public recognition of Christian and Jewish holidays. The lawsuit argues that the city’s actions violated the Constitution’s Establishment Clause.

Cleveland said she approached the municipality as a concerned resident seeking equal treatment for Christians and Jews but was ignored. Her attorney, David Yerushalmi, accused senior city officials of responding to her request with hostility and indifference.

Yerushalmi also cited remarks Hammoud allegedly made to a Christian resident, telling him he was “not welcome” in Dearborn. The lawsuit contends that Cleveland is asking only for the city to treat residents of different faiths equally.

Hammoud has defended the Ramadan initiative, saying it reflects Dearborn’s identity as a city.

The legal dispute comes as religious and political tensions play an increasingly prominent role in Michigan ahead of the 2026 elections. The state’s U.S. Senate race includes Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who is seeking to become the first Muslim elected to the Senate.

El-Sayed has faced criticism over his views on Israel and his association with left-wing commentator Hasan Piker. His campaign and supporters have argued that some of the opposition to his candidacy relies on anti-Muslim rhetoric.