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| Photo by: Yaseen Najeeb |
Sarsour has been detained for more than 80 days and is the subject of a major 2026 immigration case.
DHS alleged that he failed to disclose Israeli military-court convictions on his U.S. immigration application and has raised national-security and foreign-policy concerns, but his lawyers dispute these allegations and claim he was coerced and tortured into confessions as a teenager and that the efforts to deport him is his connection to his advocacy for Palestinian rights.
A federal judge ordered his release in June, finding that he raised a substantial claim that his detention was retaliatory for protected speech, [in spite of his blatant anti-Semitism].
However, on September 30th, a judge ruled that he could be deported on national-security/foreign-policy grounds. His attorneys said they would appeal.
Sarsour also served on the board of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).
Not surprisingly, there are older allegations about alleged connections to Hamas and fundraising, with claims contained in congressional documents and court filings. Those allegations are contested and should be distinguished from the findings in the current immigration proceedings.
Regarding a timeline there are two competing narratives throughout the case: the government says Sarsour’s decades-old Israeli military convictions and alleged immigration violations justify removal; Sarsour’s attorneys say the convictions resulted from coercion and that the government revived them because of his Palestinian advocacy.
1988-1989: Arrest and Israeli military proceedings
Sarsour was born and raised in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
He was imprisoned by Israeli authorities in the late 1980s.
Court records and government filings say he was convicted by an Israeli military court of offenses involving attacks on Israeli military personnel, including throwing stones. DHS has characterized the case as involving a Molotov cocktail, while Sarsour's defense disputes that characterization.
His attorneys maintain that he was tortured and coerced into confessing. His former Israeli lawyer, Jawad Boulos, later testified to that claim during the 2026 immigration proceedings.
1993: Comes to the United States and became a conditional lawful permanent resident. He has said the U.S. has been his home for more than three decades.
1995: Second Israeli military conviction:
Israeli military authorities convicted Sarsour of attempting to possess weapons.
Sarsour denies committing the offense, while his attorneys say he was coerced into confessing.
1998: Becomes a full permanent resident
2002: Naturalization application approved
2000s-2020s: Milwaukee community leader Sarsour became president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, described as Wisconsin's largest mosque.
He also became involved in Palestinian advocacy and eventually served on the board of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP).
His supporters portray him as a longtime community leader with no criminal record in America. The government later argued that his Palestinian activism and other associations raised national-security and foreign-policy concerns.
June 2025: Rubio memorandum Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a memorandum invoking a rarely used provision of immigration law concerning foreign-policy consequences.
The government subsequently relied on that provision in seeking to remove Sarsour.
The provision had also been used against other prominent pro-Palestinian activists, including Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi.
February 2026: Trump administration intensifies scrutiny of Palestinian advocacy The Justice Department's assistant attorney general for civil rights announced plans to investigate, prosecute and dismantle organizations including American Muslims for Palestine.
March 26, 2026: Canary Mission profile updated
According to the federal judge's account of the chronology, Sarsour's profile on the Canary Mission website was updated four days before his arrest.
His lawyers subsequently pointed to the timing as evidence that the government action was connected to his political advocacy.
March 30, 2026: ICE arrests Sarsour
Armed federal agents in civilian clothing arrested Sarsour in Milwaukee as he was going to work.
He was taken to the Clay County Jail in Indiana, where he remained in ICE custody for more than 80 days.
DHS alleged that his old Israeli convictions made him removable and accused him of concealing information on his immigration paperwork.
April-June 2026: Detention dispute escalates
Sarsour's attorneys argued that his detention was retaliation for his protected speech concerning Palestinian rights.
They also raised serious medical concerns. He reportedly lost more than 30 pounds while detained and, according to his attorneys, did not receive adequate monitoring of his diabetes.
June 18, 2026: Federal judge orders his release
U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon ordered Sarsour released.
Hanlon found that Sarsour had presented a "substantial" First Amendment retaliation claim.
The judge also noted that the government had not adequately explained why Sarsour suddenly represented a threat after decades as a lawful permanent resident.
Sarsour was released on his own recognizance.
Importantly, Hanlon's ruling did not terminate the deportation proceedings. It concerned Sarsour's detention, while his underlying immigration case continued.
July 2026: Deportation hearings begin
Immigration proceedings began in Chicago before Assistant Chief Immigration Judge Jayme Salinardi.
DHS argued that Sarsour had lied on immigration documents and that his Israeli convictions demonstrated that he was removable.
Sarsour's attorneys argued that the Israeli convictions were obtained through torture and coercion and that the government had known about his history for decades.
August-September 2026: Evidence and testimony
Sarsour's former attorney Jawad Boulos testified that Sarsour had been tortured by Shin Bet and coerced into confessing.
Experts also testified concerning forced confessions and Israeli military courts.
DHS challenged the credibility and evidentiary basis of the torture allegations.
The immigration proceedings continued through September.
September 14, 2026: Final removal hearing
The fourth and final removal hearing was held in Chicago.
Sarsour's lawyers continued to argue that his detention and removal proceedings were politically motivated and connected to his advocacy for Palestinians.
September 30, 2026: Immigration judge rules Sarsour deportable
Judge Salinardi ruled that Sarsour could be deported on foreign-policy/national-security grounds.
However, the judge rejected the government's allegation that Sarsour had lied to immigration authorities about his history.
The ruling therefore did not establish that he fraudulently obtained his green card as DHS had alleged.
The decisive issue was Rubio's determination that Sarsour's presence could have adverse consequences for U.S. foreign policy. The judge gave substantial deference to that determination.
Sarsour called the decision "deeply disappointing" and said:
"I will continue fighting to defend the right to free speech and to stay in the country I have called home for more than three decades."
His attorneys said they would appeal. They also indicated they expect to seek protection under the Convention Against Torture, arguing that Sarsour could face torture if returned to the region.
Where the case stands now
As of October 8, 2026, the September 30 ruling does not mean Sarsour has been deported. His attorneys have said they will appeal, and he may seek protection from removal based on the alleged risk of torture. The government cannot simply remove him while those available legal proceedings are pending.
One particularly important distinction for an article is this:
The immigration judge found Sarsour deportable on foreign-policy grounds, but rejected the government's claim that he lied on his immigration paperwork. That distinction is easy to lose in headlines describing the case as a deportation based on his "criminal history."
If you're researching this for a news article, the 1988-1995 Israeli convictions, the 1993 U.S. immigration entry, the 2002 naturalization approval, the 2025 Rubio memorandum, and the 2026 ICE arrest are the key pieces to examine closely because they form the government's entire chronology for why a man who had lived legally in America for more than three decades suddenly became the subject of removal proceedings.
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