An immigration judge ruled Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026, that the U.S. government may deport Salah Sarsour, the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque. Chicago Immigration Court Judge Jayme Salinardi found that Sarsour, a U.S. permanent resident, could be removed on national security and foreign policy grounds under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The legal proceedings follow Sarsour's detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in late March 2026. While he was released in mid-June after a federal judge found he had raised a substantial claim of free speech retaliation, the Trump administration continued to seek his removal. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that the judge's ruling sustained multiple grounds for his deportation.
Sarsour, 53, grew up in the West Bank and has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years. The government’s case cited his convictions in an Israeli military court, including an incident as a teenager where he was accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli forces. Sarsour has no U.S. criminal record and denied the Israeli allegations, stating he was tortured into a confession. The judge, however, rejected the government's separate allegation that Sarsour had lied on his green card application.
The Mosque describes Sarsour as being targeted for his Palestinian and Muslim background and his advocacy for Palestinian rights. This case occurs amid broader administration efforts, led by the Trump administration, to deport foreign pro-Palestinian protesters and monitor immigrants' social media, citing concerns over extremism and antisemitism.
The concrete change for Sarsour is the potential loss of his legal right to remain in the U.S. and his subsequent removal. However, he will not be deported immediately, as he intends to appeal the decision. The next step in the process will be the filing of an appeal by Sarsour’s legal team.