DEARBORN, Mich. – A Michigan-based Arab-American advocacy group has asked the federal government to investigate banks for closing accounts of community members.
The Arab-American Civil Rights League in Dearborn said Tuesday it sent a letter to the Justice Department after learning about a half-dozen closures in the past month.
Executive Director Rana Abbas says the customers are from the area's large Arab community and most are professionals. She says several banks haven't explained why they closed the accounts.
The Michigan Bankers Association says it lacks specific information about the complaints on which to comment.
The league says the banks' silence could be related to the issue of secret national security letters. The FBI sends thousands annually to banks and other businesses demanding customer information.
A federal judge last week declared the letters unconstitutional.