Name: Muslim NJ mayor rips Secret Service for barring him from White House ceremony: ‘Targeting of Arabs’
Uploaded: 2023-05-02T11:54:31-04:00
Duration: 1 min 34 s
Description: Prospect Park, New Jersey Mayor Mohamed Khairullah blasted the Secret Service on CNN for blocking his attendance to a White House Islamic celebration after he had already traveled to Washington, D.C. for the event.

Prospect Park, New Jersey Mayor Mohamed Khairullah blasted the Secret Service on CNN for blocking his attendance to a White House Islamic celebration after he had already traveled to Washington, D.C. for the event.

Khairullah appeared on "CNN This Morning" Tuesday to discuss a call he claimed he received from the White House uninviting from an Eid event hosted by President Biden, only 30 minutes before the elected Democratic official was set to arrive.

The bewildered mayor claimed he had heard zero explanation as to why he was kept out the White House event celebrating the end of Ramadan, and said it concerned him that Muslims were being "targeted" by federal agencies in such a manner, in addition to still being profiled at airports and border crossings.

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Prospect Park, N.J. Mayor Mohamed Khairullah spoke to CNN about being barred from a White House event this week by the Secret Service. (Screenshot/CNN)

The patient mayor claimed he would still visit the White House if invited, so long as he gets to have a conversation with administration officials about this kind of targeting, which he said still happens to Muslims at "airports" and "border crossings."

CNN host Kaitlan Collins started the conversation, asking Khairullah whether he had heard from anyone at the White House as to why he was turned away. He said, "No. At this point we still did not receive any explanation. All what happened is I received that call as I was entering D.C., and I was told by a staffer from the White House social events department that the Secret Service advised them that I cannot attend the event."

He added the White House staff claimed the Secret Service provided them no justification for the decision either.

Co-host Poppy Harlow asked the mayor what questions he has for the White House concerning the incident. He replied, saying, "Well, I think the big question is, what are we going to do about the targeting of Arabs, Muslims, south Asians by federal agencies that are basically not telling us why we are being harassed at airports, border crossings? And now for me to be denied entry into the people’s house, it is baffling."

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Tourists visit the fence line on the north side of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 5, 2021, following the removal of temporary security fencing and barricades that had been in place for more than a year, preventing visitors from approaching the grounds. ((Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images))

He added, "Why aren’t there checks and balances on these uncontrolled powers to put us on lists that are not admitted to and are essentially illegal and target Americans of certain backgrounds."

Khairullah cited the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which he claimed told him that the FBI put him on a watchlist in 2019 after he returned to the U.S. from Turkey. "And that’s when my problems started initially," he stated, adding that when he spoke to Border and Customs Patrol agents at the airport they asked, "’Did you meet with any terrorists while you were in Turkey?’"

When asked if he would go to the White House if asked again, he said, "I think I would accept it under the condition that we’re going to discuss the secret list and the targeting of Muslims, south Asians, middle easterners and anyone."

A Secret Service agent stands guard as President Biden sits inside the presidential SUV after arriving at Delaware National Guard Air Base on June 18, 2021, in New Castle, Delaware. (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

Khairullah added, "If someone like me, who has a high profile, who has clearly served their community, who has demonstrated dedication to local community and global community, can be targeted like that, I have someone who can speak on my behalf. The average citizen doesn’t know who to turn to, who to speak to."

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House press team for comment on barring Khairullah, though it simply referred the outlet to the Secret Service. Fox is waiting to hear from the Secret Service if it has an updated explanation.