Embarking on a journey to the land of opportunity was, in the eyes of many immigrants, the most feasible step in building a new life of freedom and equality. America had become the brand of utopia: a place to find acceptance and work, raise a family and achieve success: the American dream. However, not long after immigrants began to flow in, they began to feel America's welcoming doors closing on them. Laws were soon passed that discriminated against unfavorable ethnicities entering the United States, which fueled resentment among Americans. Whites began to dehumanize unwanted immigrants, exploiting their differences to spread prejudice thus creating their enemy (Memmi 190). The construction of an enemy, as described by Stein, is evident in response to Hurricane Katrina, which deprives Middle Easterners and African Americans of American ideals of equality and opportunity. Balancing the war on terrorism and the impact of Hurricane Katrina, America began to intertwine its fears on the front lines with the fears faced at home, depriving innocent foreigners of the citizenship they earned by referencing the past. In her article “Constructing an Enemy,” Eleanor Stein discusses the integration of xenophobia into U.S. national politics (198), which is evident in Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers. After the storm, the military takes Zeitoun, a highly respected husband and father, into custody without any reasonable suspicion. Zeitoun comes to realize that “in the minds of some Americans, the very thought of two Syrians rowing together through New Orleans after a hurricane would seem quite suspicious” (255). Zeitoun is initially reluctant to believe that his government would resort to racial profiling, but fear of... middle of paper... a precious aspect of American life, fundamental rights was the first point of attack. against an enemy, as the US government demonstrated following Hurricane Katrina. Even though Zeitoun had been a model American citizen and the emblem of the American dream, America turned against him based on his ethnicity and past tragedies that tied him to it. Zeitoun, now transformed into the enemy, was arrested without cause and was denied all rights that should have been granted upon arrest. Not only were Middle Eastern citizens targeted, but also black and poor citizens. At a time when the country needed to stay united and support each other, the government had turned against many citizens based on previous suspicions and stereotypes. Not only were these foreigners deprived of their American rights, but they also lost all humane treatment, for they were made enemies..