ICE detains president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque

Attorneys for Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian-born legal permanent resident, say the immigration arrest was motivated by their client's criticism of Israel.

The president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque was detained by federal immigration agents, drawing accusations Thursday from local officials and religious leaders that the arrest was motivated by his criticism of Israel.

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Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian-born legal permanent resident of the United States, was taken into custody by nearly a dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who surrounded his car on Monday in Milwaukee after he left his home, according to the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.

Salah Sarsour in 2025.Islamic Society of Milwaukee via APSupporters called Thursday for his immediate release. His attorneys said he was detained on the grounds that he is a foreign policy threat, a claim they say has no merit.