Immigration judge rules U.S. can deport president of Islamic Society of Milwaukee
An immigration judge has ruled that the United States has grounds to deport the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE —
Video above: June coverage of continued fight against expulsion of Milwaukee Islamic Society leader
An immigration judge has ruled that the United States has grounds to deport the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.
At a pre-trial hearing Wednesday, the judge said Salah Sarsour’s case could move to the referral phase.
He gave Sarsour’s legal team 30 days to appeal.
The allegations
Federal officials say Sarsour failed to disclose two convictions in his immigration documents.
Much of the testimony has focused on Sarsour’s treatment during his military detention in the West Bank in 1989, when he was arrested at the age of 15 for throwing stones and a Molotov cocktail at Israeli troops, and again in 1995 for allegedly trying to help Hamas.
His defense claims his confessions in these cases were extracted under torture.
In the case seeking Sarsour’s expulsion, Homeland Security cited Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Sarsour’s residency in the United States “presents a negative consequence for American foreign policy,” specifically referring to his advocacy for Palestinian rights.
Arrested
Sarsour was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at his Franklin home in March, sparking an outcry in Milwaukee, particularly among the Muslim community.
“He was targeted for one thing. He dared to stand up to the Israeli government,” the executive director of the Islamic Society, Othman Atta, said at the time.
Held in federal custody
Sarsour was held in a federal prison in Indiana for nearly three months before being released in June. Eviction hearings in Chicago began in July.
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