James Lawhorn, a 54-year-old resident of Wasilla, Alaska, was charged in federal court in Alaska with seven counts of making threats in interstate commerce and one count of stalking, according to a court filing. The threats allegedly included racist, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ+ language, as well as death threats.
While the indictment does not identify the mayor who was the subject of the threats, a statement from Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud confirmed that he was the target of the threats.
“These threats are not new, and they are not just directed at me or my family. They are meant to intimidate an entire community and malign our city,” Hammoud said. “They won’t distract us. My focus remains on serving our residents, uplifting our families, and moving Dearborn forward.”
A leading Islamic advocacy organization in Michigan also released a statement Wednesday welcoming the charges.
“American Muslims should not have to fear that serving their communities, holding public office, or simply practicing their faith will make them targets of violence. We urge authorities to continue thoroughly investigating this case and to ensure that anyone responsible for making credible threats is held accountable,” Dawud Walid, the executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), said in a statement. “The alleged threats against Mayor Hammoud are especially troubling in the context of the broader rise in anti-Muslim incidents we are seeing across the country.”
More than 20 messages were allegedly sent by Lawhorn between Sept. 18 and Sept. 23, 2025, including threats of assassination via hanging and firing squad. The messages were largely sent via social media and text messages.
“The mayor wants to tell one of our American citizens to leave,” one of the messages stated, likely referring to a well-publicized incident in which Hammoud called a resident of the town a racist and said he wasn’t welcome in Dearborn. “No Muslim is an American citizen and never will be – you are all terrorist and shall be treated as do.”
Other messages similarly said that “All Muslims must now die in America because of this f***ing f*g” and “We put a bullet in this mfs head. No muslims is welcome in our country.”
CBS News reported that Lawhorn made his first appearance in the District of Alaska on Monday. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Originally published on michiganadvance.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
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