Milwaukee Muslim leader detained by ICE, calls for release grow
Community groups condemn arrest of long-time resident, warn of civil rights violations and politically motivated targeting
WASHINGTON (MNTV) — A prominent Muslim community leader in Milwaukee has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, sparking widespread criticism and demands for his immediate release.
Salah Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, was taken into custody on March 30 as he was leaving his home, according to statements from the organization. Witnesses said multiple agents surrounded his vehicle before detaining him.
Community representatives say Sarsour is a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States for more than three decades and plays a central role in serving a Muslim population of over 10,000 people in the region.
Following his arrest, Sarsour was initially transferred to an ICE facility in Illinois before being moved to a detention center in Indiana, raising further concerns among supporters about due process and transparency.
Advocacy groups and community leaders have strongly condemned the detention, describing it as unjustified and politically motivated.
Jinan Chehade, a civil litigation staff attorney at the Muslim Legal Fund of America, condemned the detention as an attempt by authorities to bypass constitutional protections by using immigration enforcement to suppress free speech and advocacy for Palestinian rights.
She stressed that being Palestinian or engaging in protected expression is not a crime and warned that no administration is above the Constitution.
Oussama Jammal of the US Council of Muslim Organizations called for Sarsour’s immediate release, describing him as a model immigrant and community figure.
The Islamic Society of Milwaukee warned that the detention could have a chilling effect on community advocacy and undermine constitutional protections, urging authorities to uphold principles of fairness and the rule of law.
Officials from the Department of Homeland Security have not publicly clarified the legal basis for the arrest, intensifying criticism that the action reflects an increasingly aggressive and opaque approach to immigration enforcement under US policy.
The case has drawn attention to growing fears among minority communities that political dissent, particularly on international issues, is being conflated with security concerns, eroding fundamental rights in the process.
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