Arab American Groups Meet with DOJ Over Hotel Event Cancellations Seen as Potentially Discriminatory
• The Department of Justice recently met with Arab American groups over several event cancellations by major hotel chains like Hyatt, Marriott, and Hilton.
• The hotels claimed they received threatening calls and messages, but did not provide specifics to the groups about safety concerns.
• Arab American leaders view the cancellations as arbitrary and potentially discriminatory. One group lost deposits and attendees lost travel expenses.
• Advocacy groups say anti-Arab sentiment today feels worse than post-9/11. One leader said "It feels a lot like 2001."
• Arab American groups hope the DOJ will thoroughly investigate the suspicious timing of the event cancellations.