Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin's largest mosque and a U.S. green card holder for nearly three decades, described his more than 80 days in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody as 'dehumanizing' and reminiscent of his time in Israeli military prisons in the late 1980s.
Detention and Release
Sarsour was detained on March 30, 2026, while traveling to visit his elderly mother in Milwaukee. He was surrounded by at least 10 unmarked vehicles and armed agents in civilian clothing, then taken to a detention center near Chicago and later to a facility in Indiana. He was released last month after a federal judge ruled his detention likely retaliatory for his advocacy for Palestinian rights, making it unlawful.
'It all brought back old memories of things that happened to me when I was tried in Palestine,' Sarsour said in his first interview since release. 'The humiliation, the treatment by guards, the way they talk to people, the way they try to put people down.' He lost more than 30 pounds while in detention.
Government Claims and Legal Battle
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleged Sarsour was 'suspected of funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms,' which he denies. DHS cited his decades-old military court convictions in Israel for throwing a Molotov cocktail at Israeli armed forces' homes and illegally attempting to possess weapons. Sarsour, who was a teenager at the time in 1989 during the first intifada, says he was tortured and forced to sign documents in Hebrew he did not understand. He spent two years in an Israeli prison, where the conviction rate in military courts for Palestinians exceeds 96%.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio personally signed a memo declaring Sarsour deportable because 'his actions undermine U.S. foreign policy to combat antisemitism around the world.' The Trump administration continues to seek his deportation.
Community and Legal Support
Sarsour's detention drew condemnation from civil rights groups, community members, and legislators, with protests outside the Indiana facility. Samuel Cole, a former immigration judge and senior attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois representing Sarsour, said the government is using immigration court as a tool for enforcement policies. Cole noted Sarsour's case echoes those of Mahmoud Khalil and Leqaa Kordia, but is particularly alarming given Sarsour's legal residency and the government's knowledge of his Israeli record since 2000.
Impact on Health and Faith
Sarsour, who is diabetic, was denied daily blood sugar checks and served poor-quality food. He slept on a 2-inch mattress with a thin blanket in a freezing room shared with dozens of men. Requests for Friday prayers and Eid celebrations were denied. 'That really shocked me to be honest,' he said.
Continuing Advocacy
Sarsour, a board member of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), believes his arrest aimed to intimidate pro-Palestinian activists. 'They thought by arresting me they would scare people fighting for justice for Palestinians, but it's the opposite,' he said. He faces a court hearing in Chicago on Wednesday and a lengthy legal battle but remains determined: 'We have a mission: let's continue to make our voice clear, to protect the First Amendment, to support justice. I'll continue with that message whether I'm inside or outside.'
