Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, was detained by ICE officers in March.
Immigration Judge Jayme Salinardi agreed that Sarsour could be deported on foreign-policy grounds but rejected the allegation that he lied on his application, AP reported.
Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Milwaukee in March, according to The Associated Press. A federal judge ordered his release in June, saying he had raised a “substantial” claim that the Trump administration may have targeted him for speaking out against Israel and advocating for Palestinian rights. Sarsour said the latest ruling was “deeply disappointing” and that he plans to appeal. The judge said Sarsour could have a valid claim that the government had retaliated against him for exercising his free speech rights and noted that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security had not adequately explained why he was suddenly considered a threat after decades of legal residency.
A US immigration judge has ruled that Salah Sarsour, the Palestinian-born leader of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, can be deported on grounds that he poses a foreign policy threat, while rejecting allegations that he lied on his green card application. The US government has argued that Sarsour’s decades-old terrorism-related convictions in Israel make him a national security threat and alleged that he concealed them while applying for a green card. A US federal judge had ordered Sarsour’s release from ICE custody in June while his immigration case continued.
“I will continue fighting to defend the right to free speech and to stay in the country I have called home for more than three decades,” he said.