Salah Sarsour released: Milwaukee Islamic leader out of custody

MILWAUKEE - A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release of Salah Sarsour, the Islamic Society of Milwaukee president who has been locked up in a federal detention center for months.

The latest:

The Muslim Legal Fund of America is representing Sarsour as he fights deportation. The group filed a writ of habeas corpus along with a request for a temporary restraining order against the detention.

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On Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Hanlon in Indiana granted the habeas petition, which ordered Sarsour's immediate release on his personal recognizance.

"We’re getting our dad back," Kareem Sarsour, Salah's son, said in a statement released by the group Free Salah Sarsour. "This experience has been a nightmare to wake up to every day, with his health at risk in a cruel basement cell simply for speaking up for Palestine. But we know who my dad is, he’s a voice for the voiceless and the heart of our family and our community. I can’t wait to hug him, and I hope everyone like him will be released."

Salah Sarsour detained

The backstory:

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 at a federal detention center in Indiana.

The federal government pointed to charges Sarsour faced in Israel, where he was accused of "throwing a Molotov cocktail at the homes of Israeli armed forces," as the reason for his detention. The Islamic Society called those fraudulent charges.

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In April, FOX6 News asked ICE to explain the rationale for the arrest.

"Salah Salem Sarsour is a terrorist convicted for throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli armed forces. This illegal alien from Jordan lied on his green card application to gain legal status in the U.S.," said Homeland Security Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "He ultimately entered the United States in 1993 – under the Clinton administration – as a conditional resident. After lying on his application, he became a green card holder in 1998 under President Clinton."

However, Othman Atta of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee told FOX6 that Sarsour had explained the arrests during his visa interview, which was recorded.

Support, criticism of Sarsour

What they're saying:

Supporters – including Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowely – packed the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Community Center questioning Sarsour's arrest in April.

In late May, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release Salah Sarsour, the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, with a symbolic vote.

The other side:

Lara Burns, a scholar with George Washington University's Program on Extremism and a retired FBI special agent, said Sarsour's detention may be tied to historical investigations.

"Understanding the history of the original U.S.-based Hamas network in this country is important to understanding why government action was taken against Salah Sarsour, which does not have anything to do with free speech," she said. "I think that you have to peel back the curtain just a little bit and actually look at the facts of Mr. Sarsour’s history."

Editor's note: This story was updated to include new information related to Sarsour's release.

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