At the Sahara Restaurant in Dearborn, Michigan, four Arabic-language TV news channels stream images of the Gaza war and the aftermath of recent explosions in Lebanon. The aroma of cardamom coffee and shawarma fills the air, while friends chat, providing a stark contrast to the news on the screens.
Dearborn, the first Arab-majority city in the U.S., has become a center for the “Uncommitted” movement, which opposes the Biden administration’s Middle East policies. Located in Michigan, a key swing state that President Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020, voters here—like those at Sahara—could play a decisive role in Vice President Kamala Harris’s political future.
Sam Hammoud, whose family has owned Sahara Restaurant for 30 years, shared that while taxes and inflation have hurt his business, his vote is driven by concern for the Middle East. “It’s about the situation in our homelands,” he said, emphasizing the need for a ceasefire.
Hammoud’s sentiments reflect a broader feeling in the Arab-American community. For months, they have warned Democrats not to take their support for granted. The Uncommitted Movement, which includes traditionally Democratic voters, recently announced it couldn’t endorse Harris due to her stance on unconditional weapons policies and her lack of commitment to human rights laws.
Soujoud Hamade, a lawyer and president of the Michigan Chapter of the Arab American Bar Association, previously campaigned for Democrats and helped Biden win Michigan in 2020. However, this election cycle, she is supporting Green Party candidate Jill Stein. A recent poll by the Council on American-Islamic Relations shows that 40% of Michigan’s Muslim voters back Stein, while only 12% support Harris, a marked shift from past elections.
Hamade and other traditionally Democratic voters are disillusioned with the party’s current direction. Harris’s endorsement of former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, who played a key role in the 2003 Iraq invasion, has further distanced Arab-American voters.
Dearborn, known for its vibrant small businesses and tight-knit community, is deeply affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Dr. Maisa Hider-Beidoun, a lifelong Democrat and owner of a chain of pharmacies, expressed her moral dilemma. She feels torn between her identity as a law-abiding American and her concerns over U.S. foreign policies, which she believes are funding violence in the region.
In February’s Democratic primary, over 100,000 people in this community identified as “uncommitted,” protesting the Biden-Harris administration’s stance on Gaza. They have sought clarity from Harris on how her policies differ from Biden’s, but with little success.
Although the Uncommitted Movement is critical of Harris, it also opposes Donald Trump, accusing him of wanting to escalate the violence in Gaza. The movement has not endorsed third-party candidates like Stein, leaving many in the community uncertain about their vote.
Dr. Mona Mawari, a pharmacist and community organizer, is among those still undecided. While she acknowledges Harris has been more vocal than Biden about the suffering in Gaza, she remains skeptical of her ability to take meaningful action.
The conflict in Lebanon has heightened concerns for Arab-Americans, many of whom have family members still in the region. Faye Nemer, who fled Lebanon at age 10, now leads the Middle East North American Arab Chamber of Commerce. Her family’s experience living as refugees makes her view the Gaza situation—where over a million people have been displaced—with deep concern, especially for the children affected.
Like many in Dearborn, Nemer is a lifelong Democrat who is unsure if she’ll vote in this election or back a third-party candidate. For the 3.5 million Americans of Middle Eastern descent, many of whom live in key battleground states like Michigan and Wisconsin, the stakes are high.
Dr. Mawari emphasized that the Uncommitted Movement isn’t promoting voter apathy. Instead, they encourage people to cast their ballots thoughtfully, insisting that sitting out the election is not an option.
