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Mohahmed Khairullah, who was recently sworn in for his fifth term as Prospect Park's mayor was told by Secret Service Monday, May 1 that he had not been cleared for entry.
Khairullah received the news just hours before he was set to arrive. He said the move "reeks of Islamophobia."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations New Jersey's chapter called it "unacceptable and insulting," and demanded an apology from the White House and the Secret Service.
The mayor was planning a press conference for Tuesday, May 2.
In a statement, the Secret Service confirmed Khairullah was not allowed to enter the White House.
"While we regret any inconvenience this may have caused, the mayor was not allowed to enter the White House complex this evening," said Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for United States Secret Service.
"Unfortunately we are not able to comment further on the specific protective means and methods used to conduct our security operations at the White House,"
Khairullah was recently interrogated for three hours at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Maksut said.
UPDATE: Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, along with Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ 09) issued a letter to Secret Service and the White House demanding an explanation as to why Khairullah was denied entry into the White House.
"We... urge you to provide Mayor Khairullah with the substantive reasons he was denied admission, and urge you to initiate a review of Mayor Khairullah’s status so that in the future he may be able to attend events and represent his constituents at the People’s House,” the letter reads.
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