Immigration judge rules US has grounds to deport Salah Sarsour

MILWAUKEE - An immigration judge ruled on Wednesday, Sept. 30, that the United States has grounds to deport Salah Sarsour, the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. Sarsour's legal team is likely to appeal. 

Detained by ICE

The backstory:

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Sarsour in March and did not release him until more than 80 days later – when a judge ruled federal officials targeted him over his pro-Palestinian speech.

Sarsour has been a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. for decades, and his wife and children are American citizens. ICE detained Sarsour in March. Federal records show he was locked up in Indiana.

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Sarsour claims he is being targeted for supporting Palestine. Federal prosecutors say he lied on his green card application when he applied over 30 years ago. However, Sarsour's attorneys say the government is trying to deport him over his political beliefs. And his convictions in Israel were the result of torture.

No matter what the ruling is, both sides are likely to appeal the decision.

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Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s reporter and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.

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