Muslim Legal Fund of America | DONATE NOW
Media Contact: Marium Uddin
Muslim Legal Fund of America (MLFA)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (972) 331-9021
Website: mlfa.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2025
Let us be clear: Marwan’s arrest and detention is pretextual and emblematic of this administration’s broader campaign to weaponize immigration law as a tool to silence Palestinians, their allies, and others whose viewpoints it finds inconvenient or threatening.
Marwan Marouf is not only a devoted husband, beloved father, and respected mentor in the Dallas Muslim community, but also a man who came to this country lawfully and has devoted his life to building bridges and serving others. Yet, on Monday morning, ICE agents followed Marwan from his home as he dropped his teenage son at school and then intercepted him on his way to work. He was taken without explanation, disappeared into the system, and for two agonizing days his family and friends did not know where he had been taken or whether he was safe. Only later was he located at Bluebonnet Detention Center, a facility notorious for its harsh conditions.
True to his character, Marwan has met these circumstances with resilience and trust in his Creator. He told us that knowing the community showed up for him in full force on Tuesday night has been a source of immense strength, fortifying his resolve to confront and defeat the government’s unwarranted, baseless claims.
It is true that Marwan, like many others, donated to the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) when it was a legally recognized, IRS-approved 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Like others, he engaged in the common and lawful practice of pooling religiously obligatory zakat funds. At no time was Marwan an employee of the HLF. And, there was no way for Marwan — or the thousands who donated and volunteered alongside him — to know that HLF would later be accused of prohibited activities.
At the time of Marwan’s donations and volunteer service, HLF was a legally operating U.S.-authorized charity, widely understood and accepted as such. For USCIS to now attempt to brand him retroactively as someone who provided “material support” is not only factually baseless but also sets a dangerous precedent, opening the floodgates to punish entire communities for lawful, good-faith humanitarian activity.
Those who know Marwan will tell you that honesty and integrity are not just qualities he possesses — they are the defining threads of his life. He has been candid and forthcoming in every interaction with immigration officials. Yet, rather than respecting the truth, USCIS and ICE are bent on manufacturing false narratives.
In carrying out Trump’s campaign promise to execute the largest mass deportation in history, DHS’s statements over the last nine months have amounted to little more than a string of lies — all in an effort to justify the government’s campaign of retaliation against law-abiding, peaceful Palestinians and their allies. This pattern of retaliation is not only unlawful but corrosive to our nation’s most fundamental values.
