Salah Sarsour's Deportation Case Highlights Coerced Confessions

In Chicago immigration court, attorneys for Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian legal permanent resident and leader of Wisconsin's largest mosque, presented testimony that his earlier convictions in Israel were obtained through torture and coerced confessions. Former Israeli‑appointed lawyer Jawad Boulos told the court that Sarsour was beaten in custody and forced to plead guilty to a weapons charge, though he was never linked to a terrorist organization.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Sarsour at his Milwaukee home in March. The Department of Homeland Security is seeking his removal as a "foreign policy threat" based on those Israeli convictions, despite Sarsour having no criminal record in the United States. A federal judge released him from detention in June, finding the government's justification insufficient. The case is part of a broader pattern of deportation attempts against individuals who have spoken out in favor of Palestinians since the Israel‑Hamas war began in October 2023.