Muslim activists in New Jersey called on Immigration and Customs Enforcement to fire one of its spokesmen, after The Star-Ledger newspaper reported that Dabul had worked previously for anti-Muslim organizations.
In an editorial, the Star-Ledger noted that Emilio Karim Dabul had served as an editor for ACT for America, an organization founded by Brigitte Gabriel, an activist with a history of inflammatory statements.
“The statement, for instance, ‘Arabs have no soul’ is rather extreme,” said James Sues, the executive director of CAIR-NJ. “’A Muslim cannot be a loyal citizen of the United States’ is rather extreme. To associate yourself with that organization, I would say, is rather extreme. So you can't say this person is opposed to extremism.”
Additionally, the editorial noted Dabul's praise of Steven Emerson, who famously (and falsely) argued that parts of Europe were inaccessible to non-Muslims.
The Star-Ledger argued, "a guy affiliated with anti-Muslim extremists has no place in this particularly sensitive spot for Muslims and minorities."
In a statement, ICE spokesperson Liz Johnson stood by Dabul.
“As ICE employees and their families face ongoing threats to their safety, it’s unacceptable that the Star-Ledger editorial board has now resorted to politically-motivated personal attacks against an agency public servant."
The agency also pointed to a recent Politico article, calling into question the Southern Poverty Law Center's process of labeling organizations like ACT for America "hate groups."