4/2/26 Reposted from wpr.org
US Department of Homeland Security accused Salah Sarsour of lying on his immigration forms
The president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and a prominent pro-Palestinian activist has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Salah Sarsour, who grew up in the Israeli occupied West Bank, was detained by ICE agents after he left his home in Franklin on Monday, according to the Islamic Society. His supporters believe his arrest was politically motivated because of his pro-Palestinian activism.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed Sarsour had been detained and accused him of lying on immigration forms.
The Islamic Society of Milwaukee said Sarsour came to the United States in 1993 and had been a legal resident of the Milwaukee community for over 32 years. Othman Atta, the executive director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, said he’s known him for decades.
“His record here in the United States is exemplary — no criminal record, no convictions, no charges,” Atta said.
Many people held signs that said “Free Salah Sarsour” during a press conference Thursday afternoon in Milwaukee attended by about 200 people. His oldest son, Kareem Sarsour, said his father has six children and nine grandchildren.
“He was a person that you would call if you had a problem, if you felt down, if you were sad, if you wanted someone to cheer you up, or if you wanted to hear a joke,” Kareem Sarsour said. “He was that person that you can always count on.”
In a statement, DHS called Sarsour “a convicted criminal who LIED on his immigration forms.”
A statement from DHS Office of Public Affairs Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said Sarsour was convicted of “throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli armed forces.”
The DHS statement didn’t provide a timeline, but supporters of Sarsour said he was convicted when he was a teenager.
“Thanks to President Trump and ICE, this terrorist is out of American communities. This Administration will always put the safety of the American people FIRST and Make America Safe Again,” Bis said.
Bis said that Sarsour, “lied on his green card application to gain legal status in the U.S.”
When he was growing up in the West Bank, according to the Islamic Society, Sarsour was “seized by the occupying Israeli forces.” The organization said he was “tried and sentenced on fraudulent charges.” Atta said Sarsour served two years in an Israeli prison.
DHS said Sarsour applied for his immigrant visa at the American Consulate in Jerusalem but he was denied, “due to his convictions in Israel for throwing a Molotov cocktail at the homes of Israeli armed forces and illegally attempting to possess weapons and ammunition.” However, Atta said the U.S. government was aware of his past record.
The DHS statement said he eventually received his green card in 1998.
The Clay County Justice Center in Indiana lists a detainee by his name who is in ICE custody.
Munjed Ahmad, a local immigration attorney and a board member of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, said he spoke with Sarsour for around 30 minutes Thursday about his legal case.
“But also, it was a very great discussion to see how motivated he was to vindicate himself,” Ahmad said.
The Muslim Legal Fund of America is defending Sarsour in his proceedings, according to a statement from the group. Ahmad said Sarsour has a hearing scheduled in Chicago Immigration Court on April 13, but he believes that hearing will be pushed back.
During the press conference, Fauzia Qureshi, the executive director of the Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, said she believed his detainment was a “targeted, politically motivated arrest.”
“To see him taken in this way raised immediate concerns, not just for me, for all of our community members across Wisconsin, not just Milwaukee, but everywhere,” Qureshi said in an interview with WPR.
The Islamic Society of Milwaukee said he has been president of the board of directors for five years. Sarsour also serves as a board member for the American Muslims for Palestine.
“We must be clear that Salah is being targeted on the basis of his Palestinian and Muslim background,” a statement from the American Muslims for Palestine said.
U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, called for the immediate release of Sarsour on Thursday.
“This is completely unacceptable,” Moore said in a statement. “Salah Sarsour is a respected leader in the Milwaukee community, and his detention raises serious concerns about the continued targeting of lawful residents based on the color of their skin or their political beliefs.”
A statement from four members of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors — Jack Eckblad, Juan Miguel Martinez, Caroline Gómez-Tom and Justin Bielinski — also condemned the detainment.
“Mr. Sarsour has worked alongside other community leaders for decades to feed, clothe, and sustain our neighbors,” the statement said. “He deserves to be with his family at home, and not in a detention cell in a different state. He must be released and returned to them immediately.”
