ICE Detains Milwaukee Mosque Leader Salah Sarsour

Salah Sarsour, the 53-year-old president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and a longtime community advocate, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on March 30, 2026, while driving near his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The incident occurred when more than 10 agents surrounded his vehicle and took him into custody, according to statements from the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the state's largest mosque.

Sarsour, a Palestinian American who has lived in the United States as a lawful permanent resident since 1993, was first transported to an ICE processing facility in Broadview, Illinois, before being moved to the Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana. He is married and has raised six children, all U.S. citizens, in the Milwaukee area. The Islamic Society described the detention as occurring without apparent cause and emphasized Sarsour's three decades of residency and contributions to the local Muslim and Palestinian communities, where he also serves as a board member of American Muslims for Palestine, a national organization focused on public education about Palestine.

Advocates and attorneys representing Sarsour, including those from the Muslim Legal...