ICE Unlawfully Detains Salah Sarsour, Palestinian Community Leader
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Media Contact: [email protected]
Organization: Muslim Legal Fund of America
Website: https://mlfa.org
On the morning of Monday, March 30, 2026, more than ten federal agents surrounded beloved community leader Mr. Salah Sarsour in Milwaukee Wisconsin before he was taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Salah serves as the President of Islamic Society of Milwaukee (ISM) and hes been a community advocate for over three decades. Mr. Sarsour is a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States for over 30 years.
Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) is leading his legal defense..
Within 24 hours of Mr. Sarsour’s detention, and prior to the filing of any formal charging documents in immigration court, MLFA and its legal partners initiated federal litigation by filing a writ of habeas corpus alongside a request for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). The legal team is also actively defending Mr. Sarsour in removal proceedings. His initial Master Calendar Hearing is currently scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. CT in Chicago immigration court.
DHS is advancing charges that raise serious constitutional concerns. As in other recent cases, the government appears to be using the immigration system to target individuals for protected speech related to Palestine and Palestinians. DHS bears the burden of proof, and Mr. Sarsour’s legal team will hold the government to that standard in full.
“Salah immigrated to the United States nearly 33 years ago. The U.S. government fully vetted his visa application at that time. It is difficult to believe that DHS’s position now is not rooted in a violation of his First Amendment right to speak about the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,” said Kathryn Brady, Head of MLFA’s Immigration Litigation Department.
“As attorneys, we are alarmed by this administration’s renewed attempt to circumvent the Constitution by leveraging the immigration system to suppress free speech and silence advocacy for Palestinian rights. As community members, we stand together against this injustice and refuse to allow Salah Sarsour to be made an example. Being Palestinian or engaging in protected speech is not a crime, and courts have consistently refused to stretch the law to make it one. No administration is above the Constitution,” said MLFA Civil Litigation Staff Attorney Jinan Chehade.
MLFA’s Immigration Litigation Department is leading this case in coordination with a growing team of attorneys and legal advisors, including Hassan M. Ahmed, Esq at the HMA Law Firm PLCC. Additional counsel and partners will be announced as the case develops.
This matter is rapidly evolving. Further filings are expected, and additional facts will be made public as they become available.
Media Contact:
[email protected]
Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA) is a nonprofit organization that addresses unwarranted actions towards Muslims, such as immigration denials and detentions, targeted scrutiny of nonprofit work, prisoners denied religious accommodations, unjust prosecutions and unfair trials, and excessive sentences and cruel conditions for prisoners.
