USA01 October, 20262 min read
U.S. Immigration Judge Rules Salah Sarsour Can Be Deported From Wisconsin Mosque
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Immigration judge ruled Salah Sarsour, Palestinian-born president of Milwaukee’s largest mosque, can be deported. Deportation grounded on foreign policy threat/national security, under Cold War-era law.
Deportation Upheld
A U.S. immigration judge ruled that the U.S. government can deport Palestinian American Salah Sarsour, the president of the Milwaukee Islamic Society and a permanent resident, under a Cold War-era law. The ruling upheld the government’s position that Sarsour poses a threat to security and foreign policy under the Immigration and Nationality Act, while the judge rejected the government’s claim that he lied when applying for a green card.
Sarsour told reporters, "I will not stop defending what is right and justice for Palestine," and he said his legal team would appeal the decision. The Department of Homeland Security welcomed the ruling, saying the judge "agreed with several reasons for the deportation."
Competing Claims
Sarsour’s legal team said the expulsion decision came amid the Trump administration’s actions against organizations and activists who support Palestinians, and they said the judge based his decision on a memo from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Sarsour told the Associated Press, "Although today’s decision is very disappointing, I will not give up. I will continue to fight to defend the right to freedom of expression and to remain in the country I have considered my homeland for more than 30 years."
The Department of Homeland Security said Rubio “has reasonable grounds to believe Sarsour’s presence would have adverse foreign policy consequences for the US,” and it said Sarsour “has engaged in terrorist activity or supported a terrorist organization.”
Sarsour denied the allegations, and his legal team said he was convicted as a minor before coming to the United States by an Israeli military court and that he was subjected to torture and forced to make confessions.
What Happens Next
Sarsour cannot be deported until all available legal avenues are exhausted, and his lawyers said they would appeal the ruling. The Milwaukee Islamic Association said Sarsour has lived in the United States for more than three decades and is "targeted because of his Palestinian and Muslim background, and his advocacy for Palestinian rights."
Sarsour told The Associated Press that deportation to the West Bank "means the end of my life," and his attorneys said his prior experiences with Israeli authorities put him at risk. The case also sits alongside a broader legal fight over the limits of U.S. government authority toward foreign residents who are politically active, with the Trump administration using the same provision in cases involving Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi.