Salah Sarsour released: Milwaukee Islamic leader, family speak out

MILWAUKEE - The president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee is free from ICE custody. A federal judge ordered the release Thursday, June 18.

A press conference took place the day after where Salah Sarsour and his attorneys spoke about what is next.

Sarsour has been a lawful permanent resident of the United States for decades.

The federal government pointed to convictions Sarsour faced in Israeli military court in 1989 and 1995, including being accused of "throwing a Molotov cocktail at the homes of Israeli Armed Forces."

He denies the charges and says the U.S. government was targeting him because he spoke out in support of Palestine.

A federal judge in Indiana says Sarsour quote "…has presented a substantial claim of first amendment retaliation."

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

The judge says the U.S. was aware of these charges for 25 years and considered them in 2000, 2008, 2010 and 2019 when considering whether he was eligible for American citizenship.

The judge also says there have been worries about his health in jail.

The judge cites attorneys for Sarsour, who say he lost more than 30 pounds and risks serious complications from diabetes, as they say medical staff was only checking his blood sugar once a month.

"Finally, I am back," said Sarsour. "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."

Sarsour is out of jail, but the federal judge sets these conditions:

• He has to live in Wisconsin
• Attend all court hearings unless the court excuses him
• Participate in his removal proceedings.

He’s due in immigration court on June 24.

Release ordered

The backstory:

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

The judge wrote in his order that Sarsour "…has presented a substantial claim of First Amendment retaliation."

The federal judge set conditions, including that Sarasour must live in Wisconsin, attend all court hearings unless excused by the court and that he participate in his removal proceedings. He is due in immigration court on June 24.

Sarsour returns to Milwaukee

The backstory:

Sarsour returned to Milwaukee on Thursday, after being released from ICE custody in the Clay County Jail in Indiana.

His first stop was the Islamic Society of Milwaukee near 13th and Layton. Sarsour was picked up by family after his release from ICE detention and arrived at the mosque around 7:30 p.m.

The parking lot was packed as supporters gathered for an emotional reunion after Sarsour spent 80 days in ICE custody.

Sarsour thanked his family, community and supporters after returning to Milwaukee.

"I'm so happy. I can't even honestly say my words and how I feel now, but I can tell you one thing. I am back," Sarsour said. "And because of great people like you and people of freedom, that it starts with justice. That's why I'm back. I owe this to my community. To, again, people of freedom like JVP and other organizations, who did great work. Standing for justice. And this is what's unique about Milwaukee."

Support, criticism of Sarsour

What they're saying:

"This news is fantastic. It's exciting, it's thrilling, it is a huge relief," said Droubi, the Sarsour attorney. "Salah has been incarcerated for 80 days based on his speech in support of Palestinian human rights."

"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."

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 ICE to release Sarsour, the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, with a symbolic vote.

The other side:

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a statement, saying:

"There is no first amendment right to fund terror organizations and lie on immigration forms. 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, 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."