US judge orders deportation of Wisconsin Mosque Imam for supporting Palestine

WISCONSIN, Oct. 01 (YPA) – A US immigration judge has ordered the deportation of Salah Sarsour, the imam of the largest mosque in Wisconsin, from the United States due to his support for Palestinian rights.

In a statement, Sarsour’s lawyers, who also heads the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, said that their client, who is of Palestinian origin, had lived legally in the United States for more than 30 years before being detained by immigration authorities on March 30.

The statement added that Sarsour remained in detention for more than 80 days before a federal judge ordered his release in June pending a decision on his case, before Immigration Judge Jimmy Salinardi issued the deportation order.

The lawyers noted that the judge based his decision on a memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who argued that Sarsour’s actions undermined US foreign policy aimed at combating anti-Semitism

Lawyers considered the decision a threat to freedom of expression and confirmed they would appeal it. Sarsour told the Associated Press that he would not give up and would continue fighting to defend his right to free speech and to remain in the country he has considered his home for more than 30 years.