Salah Sarsour released: Milwaukee Islamic leader, family speak out
Salah Sarsour released: Milwaukee Islamic leader and family speak out
The president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee is free from ICE custody. A federal judge ordered the release on Thursday. A press conference took place on Friday afternoon where Salah Sarsour and his attorneys spoke about what is next.
MILWAUKEE - Salah Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, is out of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody after a federal judge ordered his release Thursday. Now, he and his attorney are looking ahead to what's next.
Sarsour released
What they're saying:
Sarsour carried his granddaughter around a room filled with claps as he was greeted at the Islamic Society's gymnasium on Friday.
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"Finally, I am back," he said. "And I am back with my grandchildren, with my family, with my community, with people of freedom, people of justice, people of faith who stood with my case. Thank you very much. This means the world to me, I have a new life."
Salah Sarsour, community leaders speak after his release from ICE custody
Salah Sarsour, the Islamic Society of Milwaukee president who was locked up in ICE custody for 80 days, has been released. He, his family, and his legal team spoke to the media on Friday afternoon.
The backstory:
U.S. District Judge James Hanlon ordered Sarsour to be released from Indiana's Clay County Jail, where he'd been detained for 80 days, on June 18. He returned home that night.
The judge also highlighted growing concerns over Sarsour's health while he was in custody.
"He endured horrific conditions of confinement. Salah lost 30 pounds incarcerated and was denied basic medical treatment. He is a Type 2 diabetic and must have his blood glucose checked at least daily," said Luna Droubi, Sarsour's lead attorney.
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The federal government pointed to convictions Sarsour faced in Israeli military court in 1989 and 1995, including accusations of "throwing a Molotov cocktail at the homes of Israeli Armed Forces."
Sarsour, a legal resident of the U.S. for decades, denied the charges and said the U.S. government targeted him because he spoke out in support of Palestine.
The federal judge said the government was aware of the charges for years and considered them when Sarsour was eligible for citizenship. The judge also said Sarsour "has presented a substantial claim of First Amendment retaliation."
Salah Sarsour released: Milwaukee Islamic leader out of custody
A federal judge on Thursday ordered the release of Salah Sarsour, the Islamic Society of Milwaukee president who has been locked up in ICE custody for months. He returned to Milwaukee that evening, but he still risks deportation.
Government's claim
The other side:
A U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in a statement: "There is no First Amendment right to fund terror organizations and lie on immigration forms."
The DHS statement continued: "Any accusation of discrimination by ICE agents is false. Sarsour is a terrorist who was convicted of throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli Armed Forces. He is also an illegal alien that lied on his green card application to fraudulently gain legal status in the U.S. Under the Clinton Administration."
Lara Burns, a scholar with George Washington University's Program on Extremism and a retired FBI special agent, previously told FOX6 News that Sarsour's detention may have been tied to the 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."
Sarsour's case
What's next:
Sarsour's attorneys said the legal battle will continue, while his family and community stand behind him. The judge set release conditions that Sarsour live in Wisconsin, attend all court hearings unless the court excuses him, and participate in his removal process.
Sarsour is due to appear in an immigration court on Wednesday, June 24.
The Source: FOX6 attended the Friday press conference. FOX6 also reviewed U.S. District Judge James Hanlon's order, received a statement from the group Free Salah Sarsour and referenced prior coverage related to Sarsour's detention.