Palestinian-born US mosque leader faces deportation after judge rules he is ‘foreign policy threat’
A US immigration judge has ruled that Salah Sarsour, the Palestinian-born leader of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, can be deported on grounds that he poses a foreign policy threat, while rejecting allegations that he lied on his green card application.According to The Associated Press, Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Milwaukee in March. A federal judge ordered his release in June, saying he had raised a “substantial” claim that the Trump administration may have targeted him for speaking out against Israel and advocating for Palestinian rights.Sarsour said the latest ruling was “deeply disappointing” and that he plans to appeal.“I will continue fighting to defend the right to free speech and to stay in the country I have called home for more than three decades,” he said.The US government has argued that Sarsour’s decades-old terrorism-related convictions in Israel make him a national security threat and alleged that he concealed them while applying for a green card.Immigration Judge Jayme Salinardi agreed that Sarsour could be deported on foreign-policy grounds but rejected the allegation that he lied on his application, AP reported.Sarsour fears deportation to West Bank could cost him his lifeSarsour was born in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and has lived in the US since 1993. He was imprisoned in Israel in 1988 after confessing to throwing a Molotov cocktail and stones at Israeli military personnel. In 1995, he was convicted of attempting to possess weapons and ammunition.Sarsour denies committing the offences. His lawyers have argued that he was tortured and coerced into confessing by Israeli authorities.Sarsour does not have a criminal record in the US. His lawyers also say US authorities have known about his convictions in Israel for decades and that he never concealed the information from immigration officials.“If I am sent back to the West Bank, it means the end of my life,” Sarsour told AP in an interview on Tuesday.His attorney Patrick Taurel said Sarsour’s previous treatment by Israeli authorities could indicate what he might face if deported.Lawyer says Sarsour will appeal deportation rulingTaurel said Sarsour was being unfairly targeted and would challenge the deportation order.“If Salah can be deported for his speech in support of Palestinian rights, anyone can face the same fate,” Taurel said, according to AP.The case comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memo in June 2025 saying Sarsour could be deported on similar grounds used against Palestinian rights advocates Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi, according to court documents cited by AP.Sarsour’s legal team is expected to argue that he could face torture if returned to the West Bank. Taurel acknowledged that proving such a claim would be difficult but said Sarsour’s previous experience and Israel’s treatment of similarly situated Palestinians could support the case.Sarsour’s lawyers have also questioned why US authorities detained him only this year despite allegedly knowing about his past in Israel for decades.Jawad Boulos, who represented Sarsour during his Israeli case, testified that he was coerced into confessing and was not convicted of an offence linking him to a terrorist organisation. Other witnesses, including Sarsour’s brother, also testified about his physical condition and alleged mistreatment while in Israeli custody.The Israeli government rejects allegations of abuse and wrongdoing in its treatment of Palestinian prisoners.A US federal judge had ordered Sarsour’s release from ICE custody in June while his immigration case continued. The judge said Sarsour could have a valid claim that the government had retaliated against him for exercising his free speech rights and noted that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security had not adequately explained why he was suddenly considered a threat after decades of legal residency.The Trump administration has appealed that decision.Sarsour also lost more than 30 pounds while in ICE custody, according to his lawyers, who raised concerns about his medical treatment. An AP and KFF Health News investigation found that hundreds of immigration detainees across at least 33 states had filed federal lawsuits alleging medical neglect.Sarsour is among several people arrested in the US and threatened with deportation after publicly supporting Palestinians since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.
