Key facts
- Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin's largest mosque, spent over 80 days in ICE detention.
- Sarsour stated his treatment in detention reminded him of his time in Israeli military prisons in the late 1980s.
- A federal judge found Sarsour's detention was likely retaliatory for his advocacy for Palestinian rights.
- The U.S. government claims Sarsour is suspected of funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms, which he denies.
- Sarsour's attorneys argue his immigration case has been fast-tracked as political targeting.
Salah Sarsour, the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque and a U.S. permanent resident for nearly three decades, has spoken out about his experience during more than 80 days in federal immigration custody. Sarsour described the treatment as “dehumanizing” and stated it brought back memories of his time in Israeli military prisons in occupied Palestine nearly 40 years ago. He reported experiencing humiliation and degrading treatment from guards, and lost over 30 pounds during his detention.
Sarsour was detained in March and released last month after a federal judge determined his detention was likely in retaliation for his advocacy for Palestinian rights, a finding that would render it unlawful. The Trump administration is reportedly continuing to pursue his deportation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously signed a memo deeming Sarsour deportable due to actions that allegedly undermine U.S. foreign policy against antisemitism.
Sarsour believes his detention was an effort by the Trump administration to intimidate individuals from criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza. He was detained on March 30 while en route to visit his mother, surrounded by unmarked vehicles and agents. His detention drew condemnation from civil rights groups and protests.
The Department of Homeland Security has claimed Sarsour was suspected of funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms, allegations he denies. The DHS cited decades-old criminal convictions in Israel for throwing a Molotov cocktail and illegally possessing weapons, which Sarsour attributes to an arrest as a teenager during the first intifada, where he claims he was coerced into signing documents under duress. He spent two years in an Israeli prison and was detained again for nearly three months in 1995.
Sarsour is a board member of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a group U.S. officials have accused of countering U.S. foreign policy interests. His immigration case is ongoing, with attorneys arguing the government is using immigration court for political enforcement. A former immigration judge noted Sarsour’s case is alarming given his long-term legal residency and the government's prior knowledge of his record in Israel.