Judge Rules Wisconsin Mosque President Can Be Deported on Security Grounds

An immigration judge has ruled that Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin's largest mosque, is removable and can be deported.

Sarsour's legal team announced on Wednesday that the judge had found him deportable, and multiple Wisconsin outlets reported the decision the same day. The ruling rested on national security grounds and foreign policy grounds, under a controversial Cold War-era law. In immigration court, removable means the judge found a legal basis for deportation. The Guardian

Sarsour is Palestinian-born and Palestinian American. He has been a U.S. permanent resident for nearly three decades, which gives a non-citizen long-term permission to live and work in the country. He leads the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and serves as a board member of American Muslims for Palestine. He has six children and nine grandchildren, all of whom are U.S. citizens.

The Department of Homeland Security claimed Sarsour was suspected of funding terror organizations and lying on immigration forms. He denies both allegations. The Guardian

Sarsour said the accusations rooted in Israel stem from his arrest as a teenager by Israeli soldiers in 1989 during the first intifada, a Palestinian uprising. He spent two years in an Israeli prison after conviction in a military court. When he last visited Palestine in 1995, Israeli authorities detained him for nearly three months.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Sarsour in March. He was later released after a federal judge found he had probably been detained in retaliation for his advocacy for Palestinian rights. The Guardian

The immigration case was overseen by Judge Jayme Salinardi, who was brought in from out of state. Salinardi announced he would retire shortly after issuing the deportation decision. A ruling had been expected by the end of September 2026. Sarsour said he fears for his life if he is deported. PBS Wisconsin

The broader context here is the clash between two legal findings. A federal court concluded his March detention was likely retaliatory. An immigration court has now concluded he is removable on national security and foreign policy grounds. That duality will shape appeals, possible federal court review, and diplomatic questions around removing a long-term resident with deep community ties and U.S.-citizen family. The Cold War-era foreign policy provision gives the executive branch broad power, while raising close questions about speech, association and due process.