A federal judge has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release Salah Salem Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, despite Department of Homeland Security allegations that he funded terror organizations and lied on immigration forms to obtain permanent resident status.
U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon directed ICE to release the 53-year-old Jordanian-born man, who has held a green card for 33 years. Sarsour was detained on March 30 during a targeted operation in Milwaukee and held at the Clay County Detention Center in Indiana.
DHS alleges Sarsour is suspected of funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms. The department also described him as a terrorist convicted of throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli armed forces in the 1980s. DHS referred to him as a “criminal illegal alien” who fraudulently obtained legal status under the Clinton administration. The agency has not publicly released evidence supporting the allegation of terror funding.
Sarsour’s attorneys from the Muslim Legal Fund of America argued that his detention was retaliation for his protected speech and advocacy on Palestinian human rights. They also raised concerns about his health, including a reported 30-pound weight loss and inadequate treatment for type 2 diabetes while in custody.
Judge Hanlon ruled that the government cannot detain a lawful permanent resident for exercising First Amendment rights related to Palestinian advocacy. Sarsour was released on personal recognizance and must remain in Wisconsin while his removal proceedings continue.
