DEARBORN, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – As foreign influence seeps deeper into Michigan’s political, cultural, and academic institutions, many residents are beginning to ask whether the state is becoming a testing ground for agendas far removed from American values.

Over the weekend in Dearborn, residents watched as large Ashura processions marched – complete with dramatic public mourning, chest beating, and chants in Arabic. Dearborn is home to the state’s largest Muslim population with about 55% of the city’s 110,000 residents claiming Middle Eastern or North African ancestry on the 2023 census according to WDIV Local 4. Additionally, Dearborn Heights, a relatively newer suburb of Detroit, is home to a sizable Muslim population as well – primarily Shiite – many of whom express support for Iran and Hezbollah.

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The Ashura procession, observed by many Shia Muslims, commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and is marked by solemn rituals, reenactments, and rhythmic chest-beating. It’s a scene more commonly found in parts of the Middle East – but is now a yearly part of Dearborn’s landscape. TCD Dearborn News says that tens of thousands participated.

Criminal immigrant in Caledonia.

Meanwhile, on June 27 in Caledonia, federal agents from ICE Detroit, HSI (Homeland Security Investigations), and the FBI executed a search warrant and arrested Indra Gurung – an illegal immigrant from Bhutan, a country some 7,674 miles from Detroit. Gurung has a criminal record that includes stalking, aggravated stalking, domestic violence, and operating while intoxicated. No word from state officials on how long he was allowed to roam freely under the Biden Administration’s open border policy or why he wasn’t deported after the first conviction.

Gurung, however, if far from being the only illegal immigrant criminal that has been found arrested in Michigan. ICE arrests in Michigan jumped 154% since Trump took office, according to data from the federal agency.

Antisemitism and infiltration at the University of Michigan.

Over in Ann Arbor, in the southwest part of the state, Jewish students at the University of Michigan as well as regents and executive officers, continue to face harassment and hate from the pro-Palestinian crowd. Because of the continued “protests” in support of Gaza by both foreign and American students, the university has assigned 24-hour security to the regents and executive officers.

What are the Chinese up to?

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Add to that the alarming report that several Chinese students have tried to smuggle fungal samples and other biological materials into the country under questionable circumstances. As Michigan’s flagship university attracts thousands of international students, what was once celebrated as academic diversity is now criticized by some as a potential source of health risks and political extremism.

And of course, Michiganders are well aware of the Chinese-linked megasites taking root in the state, including the Gotion project near Big Rapids and Ford’s Blue Oval Battery Park in Marshall.

Strangers in their own state?

With Ashura religion processions by Dearborn residents, Chinese-linked megasites in the state, concerns about dangerous crimes by illegal immigrants, campus radicalism, and shady international science experiments, some residents feel Michigan is changing into an America they no longer recognize.

Michigan Speaker of the House Matt Hall (R-Kalamazoo) said after the interception of a potentially dangerous fungus allegedly brought in by Chinese nationals, “As speaker, I led our Foreign Influence Protection package through the State House to block CCP operatives from buying Michigan farmland, infiltrating our universities and accessing our most sensitive data … Our plan would have tackled this head-on and prevented Chinese government interference with our food supply and our universities.”

From melting pot to pressure cooker.

As Michiganders take stock of rapid changes in their communities, some are questioning the long-term impact of these shifts. While Democratic officials, keen on courting the votes of foreign-born individuals, often highlight the benefits of cultural diversity and immigrant populations, critics note a reluctance to address concerns when cultural clashes or anti-American sentiments arise.