Judge frees Wisconsin mosque president held by ICE for 80 days
Why it matters: The ruling said he showed a substantial free speech retaliation claim, testing the Trump administration’s deportation push.
A federal judge ordered the release of Salah Sarsour, the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, after finding he had raised a substantial claim that US immigration authorities detained him in retaliation for his speech supporting Palestinian rights. Sarsour, 53, a legal permanent resident who has lived in the United States for more than three decades, was taken into ICE custody on March 30 and released June 18. US District Judge James Patrick Hanlon ruled the government had not shown enough evidence to overcome the First Amendment claim. Sarsour returned to Wisconsin, where he must remain while his immigration case continues. The Department of Homeland Security has pointed to a past Israeli military court conviction, which Sarsour denies.