Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained the leader of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, a man with past connections to Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib and organizations allegedly linked to Hamas.

Salah Salem Sarsour, 53, was taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in a “targeted operation” carried out in Milwaukee on Monday, as confirmed by federal officials.

DHS officials describe Sarsour, a Jordanian national, as a “convicted terrorist” who is accused of providing false information on his green card application when he arrived in the U.S. more than three decades ago.

Sarsour, a prominent figure in the community, is the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee and a successful businessman. In 2023, the Daily Mail reported that he co-hosted a campaign event for Tlaib during her 2018 electoral campaign, which led to her becoming one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.

Rashida Tlaib, who hails from Detroit and has Palestinian roots, is known for her outspoken criticism of the Israeli government. She faced controversy in 2023 when members of the House attempted to censure her over her pro-Palestinian stance.

Previously, Sarsour faced allegations of raising funds for the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. This organization was the subject of a federal raid in 2001, accused of illegally channeling $12 million to Hamas, as noted in an FBI memorandum from that year.

Five HLF leaders were convicted and sentenced to time in a federal prison for the scheme. Sarsour was never formally charged in relation to the terror funding.

‘Salah Salem Sarsour is a terrorist convicted for throwing Molotov cocktails at the homes of Israeli armed forces. This illegal alien from Jordan lied on his green card application to gain legal status in the US,’ Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement announcing Sarsour’s arrest. 

Salah Salem Sarsour, 53, pictured above, was arrested by ICE earlier this week. Federal officials called him a ‘terrorist’ and alleged he lied on his green card application 

Sarsour serves as the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. The Daily Mail previously reported his ties to Hamas and Representative Rashida Tlaib. The two are pictured above at a fundraising event in 2018 

Rashida Tlaib was elected in 2019 and became one of two Muslim women in Congress. She is pictured above protesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress on July 24, 2024 

‘Thanks to President Trump and ICE, this terrorist is out of American communities,’ she continued.

‘This Administration will always put the safety of the American people FIRST and Make America Safe Again.’

Sarsour had entered the US in 1993 under the Clinton administration as a conditional resident, according to DHS.

He became a green card holder in 1998 and is a lawful resident; however, DHS has now alleged that Sarsour lied on his immigration application. 

Sarsour has no criminal charges. DHS said that even though Sarsour does not have a criminal record, he is still considered a terrorist due to his actions abroad.  

Othman Atta, the executive director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, told the New York Times that Sarsour had been arrested when he was a teenager in the West Bank, but was subject to brutal torture by Israeli Defense Forces. 

Sarsour is the head of Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the largest mosque in Wisconsin, pictured above 

Sarsour appeared as a host for one of Rashida Tlaib’s campaign events in 2018. Pictured above is an invitation to the event 

DHS said Sarsour was a ‘terrorist’ and an ‘illegal alien from Jordan.’ He was accused of lying on his green card application and is pictured above in a photograph provided by DHS 

‘The primary allegations are relating back to when he was a teenager in the West Bank,’ Atta said. 

‘He had been arrested, and this is something that he talked about quite a bit — how he was abused and tortured while in custody.’

Atta said Sarsour was in custody for about two years in Israel and did not understand the charges against him because they were read in Hebrew. 

The Muslim Legal Fund of America, which is representing Sarsour, maintained that he is a permanent resident in the US and has been for over 32 years. 

They said in a statement that he is a law-abiding Milwaukee business owner and is being targeted because of his Palestinian and Muslim background. 

Sarsour grew up in the Occupied West Bank of Palestine and moved to the US after marriage. He has six children who are US citizens.  

‘Salah’s story represents precisely the immigrant-refugee success story that should be celebrated, not demonized, as the cornerstone of this country’s professed values,’ MLF said in a statement.

‘Structural racism against Palestinians and Muslims, especially immigrants, weakens our democracy and erodes human rights for all. DHS targeting a community leader like Salah must raise alarms for all of us.’ 

MLF said Sarsour was pulled over by 10 ICE agents while he was driving. He was sent to a detention facility in Chicago and then transferred to a center in Indiana. 

Sarsour’s family said his arrest was a targeted attack because of his Muslim and Palestinian heritage. His children and grandchildren are US citizens 

Sarsour’s arrest caused outrage in his community. Pictured above is a community gathering in support of his release on Thursday 

Sarsour’s son, Kareem, pictured above, spoke at a rally in support of his release. He called his father ‘the person you called if you had a problem’ 

The Islamic Society of Milwaukee said in a statement to the Daily Mail that the allegations against Sarsour are fraudulent. 

‘AS A MINOR, Salah Sarsour was arrested by the occupying Israeli military, was held without charges and was subjected to months of violent interrogation and torture. Salah Sarsour was “convicted” in an Israeli-military kangaroo court,’ the statement read. 

‘No rules of evidence, legal procedures, rights of counsel, etc. that would meet even rudimentary legal standards of due process in a civilized country were available to Salah Sarsour.’

His arrest has caused outrage in the community. Crowds gathered at a rally in support of his release on Thursday. 

Sarsour’s son, Kareem Sarsour, spoke to the crowd and described his father as ‘the person you called if you had a problem,’ local Fox affiliate WITI reported. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Tlaib’s office for additional comment.