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The Trump administration arrested the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday, describing the man as a Jordanian terrorist.<\/p>\n
Salah Sarsour, who has lived in the United States for over 30 years, was convicted in Israel as a teenager after throwing molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli soldiers. He has also been accused<\/a> of helping raise money for Hamas in the 1990s. Sarsour was issued a green card under former President Bill Clinton after lying on his immigration application, Homeland Security said.<\/p>\n Sarsour has been the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee for the past five years. The society is the largest Islamic group in Wisconsin, The New York Times reported<\/a>. He is also a board member of the American Muslims for Palestine, a group that has faced scrutiny<\/a> over alleged links to Hamas and its support for intifada in the wake of Hamas\u2019 October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.<\/p>\n \u201cThis terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,\u201d DHS said.<\/p>\n Today, @ICEgov<\/a> arrested a Jordanian national with a prior conviction for THROWING A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL at the homes of Israeli Forces.<\/p>\n He lied on his immigration application and became a green card holder under President Clinton.<\/p>\n This terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/L38liuCxVy<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/9IXWuo0t0f<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The Trump administration posted the description and photo of Sarsour on social media in response to Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers criticizing the administration over Sarsour\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n \u201cTargeting people because of their beliefs or background is wrong,\u201d Evers said. \u201cThis is clearly about sowing division and fear and doesn\u2019t help make Wisconsin safer. I\u2019m thinking of Mr. Sarsour\u2019s family in this difficult time, and I join [Rep. Gwen Moore] Sarsour\u2019s attorney said the Milwaukee Muslim leader received deportation papers from the Trump administration, which said that the State Department determined Sarsour \u201cposes an adverse consequence to foreign policy considerations.\u201d The man\u2019s attorneys argued that the Trump administration is only targeting Sarsour because of his anti-Israel views, adding that Sarsour has no criminal record in the United States.<\/p>\n Hundreds of Muslims gathered for a rally at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee\u2019s Salam School gym following the arrest of Sarsour, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported<\/a>. Othman Atta, the executive director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee mosque told the crowd, \u201cThey want to criminalize advocacy for Palestine. That is the only reason that he is being targeted. There is nothing else.\u201d<\/p>\n Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to strip the legal status of immigrants found to be \u201cHamas supporters.\u201d Last year, the Trump administration arrested<\/a> pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who led anti-Israel and anti-America demonstrations at Columbia University after the October 7 attack. The Trump administration won a legal victory in January over its arrest of Khalil when a federal court ruled that he could be taken back into custody after a lower court ordered his release.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
in calling for his immediate release.\u201d<\/p>\n