ACLU of Wisconsin Condemns ICE Detention of Longtime Milwaukeean Salah Sarsour

MILWAUKEE — Salah Sarsour, a beloved community leader who has lawfully lived in Milwaukee for more than three decades, was arrested and detained by ICE on Monday, March 30th. Sarsour is Palestinian and serves as President of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.

Dr. Melinda Brennan, Executive Director of the ACLU of Wisconsin, issued the following statement:

“Salah Sarsour is a green card holder who has called Wisconsin home for 32 years. Despite having the legal right to be here, and having been vetted by the federal government before receiving his resident status, Salah was arrested by ICE on March 30th and taken into detention.

Sarsour has been outspoken in his support for Palestinian rights, and we’ve seen this administration abuse its power to retaliate against people they don’t agree with. Everyone in America has a constitutional right to express their opinion, and the government cannot lawfully jail people for disagreeing with its political agenda.

The federal government has continually weaponized ICE to target legal residents, particularly those who have engaged their First Amendment rights to oppose federal actions and war. Given that trend, we are certainly concerned that Salah may have been singled out because of his speech. Dissenting against the government is not a crime – it's a constitutional right – and no one should be arrested for simply expressing what they believe in. Salah is a pillar of the community and beloved by his friends and family. He belongs here.”

The federal government has targeted numerous immigrants with legal status because of their anti-war activism. Mahmoud Khalil was arrested, detained, and faces possible deportation for engaging in campus protests, and Rümeysa Öztürk was detained for writing an op-ed about human rights violations in Gaza.