Arab American Civil Rights League plans to sue U.S. government over Lebanon airstrikes

The Arab American Civil Rights League says it will take action against the U.S. government on behalf of American citizens who have been impacted by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon.

The Arab American Civil Rights League says this class-action lawsuit is not just a legal action; it's about accountability and justice. Dozens of families in Southeast Michigan have lost homes, land, and loved ones in Lebanon, the group points out.

"This is a demand, a demand that the law be applied equally, a demand that our government uphold its duties to its citizens, and a demand that those who have suffered are finally seen and heard and made whole," said Nasser Beydoun, ACRL chairman.

The ACRL is including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and weapons manufacturers in the lawsuit.

"They knew that their weapons are going to be used to destroy innocent people's homes, not military action, but yet they keep supplying these individuals," said Nabih Ayad, ACRL founder.

According to the ACRL, there have been violations of the Leahy Laws, passed nearly 30 years ago, which prohibit the U.S. military from providing aid to foreign security forces committing human rights abuses.

"The United States has always stood on principle that it protects its citizens no matter where they are in the world; that principle cannot be selective, cannot depend on politics, and cannot stop when American citizens are harmed by actions of a so-called ally," Beydoun said.

One ACRL board member says her family worked hard to build a house in their homeland, but now that home is gone, reduced to rubble.

"This is erasure," Zenia Djurovski, an attorney and ACRL board member, said. "This is unacceptable for us to have our tax dollars being used in this way. It is heartbreaking, disgusting, and it needs to end."

ACRL leaders say there's a long road ahead, but they vow to never stop fighting.