El-Sayed says sister-in-law wrongly placed on terror watch list

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed confirmed that his sister-in-law was named in a lawsuit challenging her alleged placement on a federal terror watch list. He said she did nothing wrong and successfully challenged her treatment; the disclosure comes shortly before Barack Obama is due to campaign with him in Detroit.

Court records identified Mariam Jukaku as a plaintiff in a 2016 case. An appeals court overturned a ruling in the plaintiffs’ favour in 2021, and a separate damages case was dismissed. El-Sayed narrowly won the Democratic primary over Haley Stevens, and the Michigan Senate race is rated a toss-up as Democrats seek to gain four seats for a majority.