President of Wisconsin’s largest mosque released from ICE custody
Judge’s order finds officials probably retaliated for Salah Sarsour’s advocacy for Palestinian rights
TL;DR
- A federal judge ordered the release of Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin's largest mosque.
- The judge found that immigration officials likely detained Sarsour in retaliation for his advocacy for Palestinian rights, violating his First Amendment rights.
- The order rebuked Trump administration officials who attempted to paint Sarsour as a national security threat.
- Sarsour has lived in the U.S. for over three decades and is a legal permanent resident.
- He is a board member of American Muslims for Palestine, an advocacy group.
- Senator Marco Rubio signed a memo describing Sarsour as deportable due to actions undermining U.S. foreign policy against antisemitism.
- The memo accused Sarsour's group of providing funds to Hamas.
- Sarsour was arrested by ICE officers in March and detained in Indiana, losing significant weight and facing health risks.
- The judge noted that homeland security officials and Rubio likely infringed on Sarsour's First Amendment rights.
- The order referenced a campaign by the Heritage Foundation to present foreign-born Muslims and Palestinian rights leaders as terrorists.
- The government cited two convictions from over three decades ago in Israel as grounds for deportation, which Sarsour denies.
- The judge dismissed these convictions as a basis for incarceration, as the government was aware of them for decades and approved his residency and citizenship application.
- Sarsour's speech on Palestinian rights was deemed core political speech protected by the First Amendment.
- The judge ordered Sarsour's release on personal recognizance, requiring him to remain in Wisconsin.
- Government lawyers had argued Sarsour did not have the same First Amendment rights as U.S. citizens and proposed strict release conditions.