Muslim leader speaks out after more than 80 days in ICE detention: ‘It brought back memories from Palestine’
Summary
Salah Sarsour, a Muslim community leader in Wisconsin, spent over 80 days in federal immigration detention, which he says reminded him of his past time in Israeli prisons. He was released after a judge found his detention was likely in retaliation for his advocacy on Palestinian rights, but the government is still working to deport him.Key Facts
- Salah Sarsour is the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque and a U.S. permanent resident for almost 30 years.
- He was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March and released last month after a judge challenged the legality of his detention.
- Sarsour claims his treatment in detention was "dehumanizing," causing him to lose over 30 pounds.
- The Trump administration continues to seek his deportation, citing accusations related to past activities in Israel and claims he harms U.S. foreign policy.
- Sarsour denies accusations made by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including alleged funding of terror groups and lying on immigration forms.
- He was arrested as a teenager in Israel during the first intifada and spent two years in prison, claiming he was tortured and forced to sign documents he did not understand.
- Civil rights groups, legislators, and community members protested his detention, seeing it as politically motivated.
- Sarsour is also a board member of American Muslims for Palestine, an advocacy group criticized by the Trump administration.
- His immigration case is ongoing with upcoming court hearings in Chicago, with his lawyers arguing the case is being fast-tracked for political reasons.
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