Palestinian-born mosque leader can be deported from US on foreign policy grounds, judge rules
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An immigration judge ruled Wednesday that the U.S. government has legal authority to deport the head of Wisconsin's largest mosque on foreign policy grounds, while rejecting allegations that he lied on his green card application.
Salah Sarsour was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Milwaukee in March. A federal judge subsequently ordered his release from custody in June, determining he presented a "substantial" claim that the Trump administration targeted him for speaking out against Israeli policy and advocating for Palestinian rights.
Sarsour, who serves as president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, has resided in the U.S. for three decades. Federal officials assert that his decades-old convictions in Israel render him a threat to national security, previously accusing him of misrepresenting his past during his residency application.
Immigration Judge Jayme Salinardi sustained the government's position that Sarsour poses a threat, but dismissed the claim that he lied on his application.
Born in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Sarsour was imprisoned in Israel in 1988 following a confession to throwing stones and a Molotov cocktail at Israeli military personnel. He faced a second conviction in 1995 for attempting to possess weapons and ammunition. Sarsour maintains his innocence, and his legal representatives state that Israeli authorities coerced his confessions through torture.
Having lived in the U.S. continuously since 1993, Sarsour possesses no domestic criminal record. His defense attorneys note that American authorities have known about his convictions in Israel since his arrival, while he continues to serve as president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.
A return to the West Bank "means the end of my life," Sarsour stated during a Tuesday interview with The Associated Press.
Patrick Taurel, an attorney representing Sarsour, told the AP that the prior treatment by Israeli authorities serves as "probably a good indicator of what awaits him" if deportation occurs.
In court filings, it was revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a rare memo in June 2025 indicating Sarsour could be removed on the same grounds used against Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, two advocates for Palestinian rights targeted for expulsion under the Trump administration.
Taurel indicated before the judge's ruling that Sarsour intends to challenge his removal, which will likely require demonstrating that he would face torture by Israel if deported.
"Itβs a very high bar, although I think we can meet it in this case, given what Salah has already experienced, and given the government of Israelβs treatment of people similarly situated" to him," Taurel stated.
Sarsour is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday for a status conference.
During testimony in August, Jawad Boulos, who represented Sarsour during his conviction in Israel, testified that Sarsour was coerced into confessing and was never convicted of any charge linking him to a terrorist organization.
Sarsour's brother, Mohammad Sarsour, testified in July that Sarsour appeared dirty and in poor physical condition, suffering marked weight loss and complaining of pain during Israeli court appearances. Boulos added that Sarsour endured torture while in the custody of Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency. Department of Homeland Security representatives questioned Boulos regarding the torture allegations, asking how he could verify their truth.
Sarsourβs current defense team has questioned why federal authorities waited until this year to detain him. Taurel emphasized that the government has held records of Sarsour's time behind bars in Israel for decades and that Sarsour never concealed the information from U.S. immigration authorities.
Specialists on forced confessions and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention facilities also testified in Sarsourβs defense. Israeli military courts have faced repeated scrutiny over allegations of limited due process and elevated conviction rates for Palestinians, claims that Israel denies.
In June, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon ordered Sarsour released from custody pending his immigration case. Hanlon found Sarsour could have a case arguing the federal government was retaliating in violation of his free speech rights, adding that attorneys for ICE and DHS failed to explain why Sarsour was suddenly considered a threat after decades of legal residency.
The Trump administration has appealed Hanlon's decision to release Sarsour from ICE detention.
Sarsour, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, lost more than 30 pounds (14 kilograms) while detained by ICE, and his blood sugar levels were checked only once a month, risking organ failure or death, his attorneys said.
A joint inquiry by KFF Health News and The Associated Press revealed that hundreds of detainees across at least 33 states have filed federal lawsuits making similar allegations of medical neglect.
Sarsour is among several people arrested in the U.S. and threatened with deportation after speaking out in favor of Palestinians since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.
