Mosque President Detained by ICE Over 1998 Green Card Application
Apr 7, 2026 · Milwaukee, WI, Palestine

Salah Sarsour, 53, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and a lawful permanent resident for over 32 years, was detained by ICE on March 30, 2026, after being pulled over while driving in the Milwaukee area. DHS alleged he provided false information on his 1998 green card application, citing convictions from an Israeli military court when he was a minor for throwing Molotov cocktails and weapons possession. Despite having no U.S. criminal record, being married to a U.S. citizen, and having six U.S. citizen children, he was transferred to detention facilities in Chicago and Clay County jail in Indiana. Within 24 hours, the Muslim Legal Fund of America filed in federal court seeking immediate relief. His attorneys disputed the allegations and claimed he was being targeted for his Palestinian background and pro-Palestinian advocacy, noting that U.S. authorities had long known about the prior convictions.
Timeline
Sources
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- eu.jsonline.com
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- CourtListener (archived)
- wisconsinmuslimjournal.org (archived)
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- themuslimtimes.info (archived)
- WPR (archived)
- Newsweek (archived)
- wisconsinwatch.org (archived)
- tmj4.com (archived)
- fox6now.com (archived)
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