Stories
Immigration Judge Rules US Can Deport Wisconsin Mosque President Under Cold War-Era Law
- •An immigration judge ruled that the US government can deport Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin's largest mosque and a US permanent resident, under a Cold War-era law.
- •Sarsour, a Palestinian American, was detained by ICE in March and released in June after a federal judge cited a substantial free speech retaliation claim.
- •The judge sided with the government's argument that Sarsour posed a security and foreign policy threat, but rejected allegations he lied on his green card application.
- •Sarsour, who has no criminal record in the US, denies committing crimes as a teenager in an Israeli military court, claiming torture and coerced confessions.
- •His legal team plans to appeal the "deeply disappointing" ruling, stating Sarsour's life would be at risk if deported to the West Bank.
Key Questions Answered
An immigration judge ruled that US permanent resident Salah Sarsour can be deported under a Cold War-era law because the government argued he posed a security and foreign policy threat. However, the judge rejected the government's allegation that Sarsour had lied on his green card application.
Salah Sarsour called the ruling deeply disappointing and stated that his legal team will appeal the decision. He cannot be deported until all of his available legal avenues are fully exhausted.
The Trump administration classified Sarsour as a threat citing a teenage conviction in an Israeli military court for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails, though Sarsour denies the crimes and states he was tortured into false confessions. Meanwhile, Wisconsin's largest mosque and other advocates contend that Sarsour is being targeted because of his Palestinian and Muslim background along with his advocacy for Palestinian rights.
