Yesterday, June 4, 2009, Building Respect in Diverse Groups to Enhance Sensitivity (BRIDGES) held its bi-monthly meeting at the Lebanese American Heritage Club in Dearborn.  Approximately 60 BRIDGES members, officials, and guests gathered to discuss current and ongoing issues of concern within the Arab American community. The meeting hosted representatives from various government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and the U.S Attorney’s Office.

The issues discussed during the meeting included the newly launched Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the ongoing issue of laptop seizures at border crossings, issues related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Detention and Removal Office (DRO) proceedings, and the continued discussion regarding the FBI informant matter.

Farewell tributes were also paid to Vincent Clausen, Detroit Field Office Director for the DRO, and Nazih Hazime, Chief of the Dearborn Fire Department, both of whom are retiring, for their years of participation in the BRIDGES initiative.