Who Is Salah Sarsour? Palestinian-American Mosque Leader, US Judge Says 'Can Be Deported'

A US immigration judge has ruled that Salah Sarsour, the Palestinian American president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, can be deported on national security and foreign policy grounds, despite rejecting the government's allegation that he lied on his green card application.

Sarsour, a US permanent resident who has lived in the country since 1993, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March. Chicago Immigration Court Judge Jayme Salinardi ruled that Sarsour was removable under a rarely used, Cold War-era provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The judge rejected the government's separate allegation that Sarsour had lied to immigration authorities.

The ruling does not mean Sarsour will be deported immediately. His lawyers have 30 days to file a notice of appeal and 60 days to seek protection under the Convention Against Torture by arguing that returning him would put him at risk of torture. Al Jazeera reported that Sarsour's lawyer Patrick Taurel said he cannot be deported while an appeal is pending.

Who is Salah Sarsour?

Sarsour was born in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and moved to the United States in 1993. He is a legal permanent resident and has lived in the country for more than three decades.

He is president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, which operates Wisconsin's largest mosque, and has been an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights.

Sarsour has no criminal record in the United States. The government's case instead centres partly on convictions dating from his teenage years in an Israeli military court.

According to The Associated Press, Sarsour was imprisoned in Israel in 1988 after confessing to throwing stones and a Molotov cocktail at Israeli military personnel. He was later convicted in 1995 of attempting to possess weapons. Sarsour denies the allegations, while his lawyers say his confessions were obtained through torture and coercion.

Reuters reported that the US government cited those decades-old convictions in arguing that Sarsour posed a security and foreign policy threat. Sarsour and his lawyers have argued that the convictions do not establish that he is a present threat to the United States and that authorities had known about them for years.

The immigration case followed a separate legal fight over Sarsour's detention. In June, US District Judge James Patrick Hanlon ordered his release after 81 days in ICE custody. Hanlon found that Sarsour had raised a “substantial” claim that the government was targeting him in retaliation for speech protected by the First Amendment, including his advocacy for Palestinian rights. That ruling concerned his detention and did not decide whether he could ultimately be deported.

Why does the US want to deport him?

The government invoked a provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows the Secretary of State to seek the removal of a non-citizen whose presence could have potentially serious adverse consequences for US foreign policy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio invoked the provision in a June 2025 memo concerning Sarsour. Al Jazeera reported that Sarsour's lawyers said the memo characterised his actions as undermining US foreign policy efforts to combat antisemitism. The administration has also used the provision in cases involving other pro-Palestinian activists.

Government attorneys also accused Sarsour of lying on his green card application and falsely claiming to be a US citizen in order to vote. Salinardi rejected those allegations but nevertheless ruled that Sarsour was removable on foreign policy grounds.

Reuters reported that the judge sided with the government's argument that Sarsour posed a security and foreign policy threat while rejecting the allegation that he had lied on his immigration application.

Sarsour's lawyers dispute the government's characterisation of him as a security threat. They argue that the administration is using immigration powers against him because of his advocacy for Palestinians and criticism of Israel.

Taurel has also challenged the weight given to Rubio's determination. Al Jazeera reported that he argued the immigration judge showed “extreme deference” to the Secretary of State's assessment and that an earlier ruling in the case of Palestinian rights activist Mahmoud Khalil limited the court's ability to examine the basis for that determination.

What happens to Salah Sarsour now?

Sarsour's lawyers have 30 days to appeal the immigration judge's ruling and 60 days to seek protection under the Convention Against Torture, arguing that deportation could expose him to torture. Al Jazeera reported that Taurel said Sarsour would remain in the US for the foreseeable future while the appeal is pending.

Where Sarsour could ultimately be sent is also disputed. He has said that deportation to the West Bank “means the end of my life”. His lawyers argue that his previous treatment in Israeli custody makes return to the region dangerous.

Jordan has been listed as a possible destination, but Sarsour's lawyers dispute that he has any right to live there. They have argued that he could ultimately be transferred from Jordan to the West Bank and Israeli custody. Salinardi declined to resolve the issue, leaving it for the appeal process.

Sarsour said he would continue fighting the decision and his right to remain in the country he has called home for more than three decades.

The case will now proceed before Judge Craig Defoe, who will take over after Salinardi's retirement. AP reported that the next stage will include Sarsour's efforts to obtain protection from removal and his appeal of the deportation ruling.