A prominent Muslim community leader in Wisconsin says his more than 80 days in federal immigration detention were “dehumanizing” and appeared intended to intimidate people who speak out for Palestinian rights.
Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque and a lawful permanent resident of the United States for nearly three decades, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in March. He was released last month after a federal judge found that his detention was likely retaliatory because of his advocacy — a finding that, if ultimately confirmed, could make the government’s actions unlawful.
Sarsour, 53, was born in the West Bank and moved to the United States in 1993 with his wife. He is a business owner, father of six U.S. citizens and grandfather of nine. He has lived for decades in the Milwaukee area, where he has become a well-known figure in Muslim civic and religious life.
In his first interview since being released, Sarsour said his time in ICE custody brought back memories of being imprisoned by Israeli military authorities as a teenager in occupied Palestine.
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“It all brought back old memories,” he said, describing what he called humiliation, harsh treatment by guards and efforts to make detainees feel powerless. He said he lost more than 30 pounds while detained.
The Department of Homeland Security has claimed Sarsour was suspected of funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms. Sarsour denies those allegations. No U.S. criminal conviction has been reported against him.
DHS has cited decades-old Israeli military court convictions related to allegations involving violence during the first intifada. Sarsour says those accusations came after he was arrested as a teenager in 1989 and was allegedly coerced into signing Hebrew documents he did not understand. His claims about coercion have not been independently proven in the available reporting, and Israeli officials have not provided a public response.
The Trump administration is still seeking his deportation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly signed a memo describing Sarsour as deportable because his actions allegedly undermine U.S. foreign policy efforts to combat antisemitism.
Sarsour and his attorneys argue that the real issue is his advocacy for Palestinians. He serves on the board of American Muslims for Palestine, a national advocacy group that has been criticized by Trump administration officials. His lawyers say the government is using immigration court as a political tool against a lawful permanent resident who has lived openly in the United States for decades.
The case is part of a wider dispute over whether the administration is targeting immigrants and permanent residents for pro-Palestinian activism. Civil liberties groups have compared Sarsour’s case to other recent detentions involving people who criticized Israel’s war in Gaza or supported Palestinian rights.
Sarsour said ICE agents arrested him on March 30 while he was on his way to visit his elderly mother. He described being surrounded by unmarked vehicles and armed agents in civilian clothing before being taken first to a detention center near Chicago and later to a facility in Indiana.
He said his detention conditions were difficult, especially because he is diabetic. According to Sarsour, he was not consistently given the daily blood sugar checks he needed, slept on a thin mattress in a cold room and was denied permission to gather with other Muslim men for Friday prayers and Eid.
Those claims have not yet been fully adjudicated, but they add to broader concerns raised by immigrant-rights advocates about detention conditions, medical care and religious accommodations inside federal immigration facilities.
Sarsour said agents attempted to get him to sign paperwork agreeing to deportation, but he refused. At first, he said, he believed authorities had confused him with someone else. Over time, he came to believe he had been targeted because of his public views.
The legal fight is not over. Sarsour is scheduled for a substantive immigration hearing in Chicago, while a separate federal case continues over whether his detention violated his constitutional rights.
His supporters say the case could test how far the government can go in using immigration law against permanent residents whose political advocacy conflicts with the administration’s foreign policy positions. The government argues that it has legal grounds to pursue removal.
Why It Matters
Sarsour’s case raises major questions about free speech, immigration power and political advocacy. If a lawful permanent resident can be detained because officials disapprove of his views on Palestine, civil liberties groups warn that other activists could face similar pressure.
The case also matters for Muslim and Palestinian American communities, many of whom already fear that criticism of Israeli government policy may be treated as suspicious or disloyal rather than protected political speech.
What Comes Next
Sarsour’s immigration case will continue in Chicago, where the government will argue that he should be deported and his lawyers will challenge the basis for removal.
A separate federal case will examine whether his detention was unlawful retaliation. If courts side with Sarsour, the ruling could limit how the administration uses immigration enforcement against activists and lawful permanent residents involved in political speech.
Salah Sarsour’s case has drawn attention to ICE detention, Palestinian rights advocacy and free-speech concerns.
🔴 Wisconsin mosque leader detained 80 days by ICE; judge found retaliation for Palestinian advocacy
Salah Sarsour, 53, president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque and US permanent resident since 1993, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on 30 March and released last… pic.twitter.com/HfCwZMeWBT
— NewsTongue (@NewsTongueX) July 21, 2026
