New Jersey’s Democratic Governor, Mikie Sherrill, recently marked her presence at a Ramadan celebration held in a Paterson mosque, one led by an Imam who has been embroiled in a long-standing deportation dispute over alleged connections to Hamas.
Governor Sherrill shared her experience via social media, posting images from the Islamic Center of Passaic County. In these photos, she is seen wearing a hijab and snapping selfies, including one where she engages with the mosque’s seasoned leader, Imam Mohammad Qatanani.
“Thank you to the Islamic Center of Passaic County for welcoming me to join their celebration as the holy month of Ramadan comes to a close,” she expressed in her social media post. “I wish our Muslim neighbors a safe, joyous, and peaceful Eid al-Fitr.”
Qatanani, a cleric originally from Palestine, has been at the heart of an ongoing immigration controversy. Federal authorities have sought his deportation for years, pointing to alleged connections with Hamas and accusing him of failing to disclose a previous detention in Israel. Qatanani has consistently refuted these claims, maintaining that although he was detained, he was never convicted.
As previously detailed by Fox News, the federal government’s efforts to deport Qatanani began in the mid-2000s. Officials argued that he misrepresented information on his green card application and raised concerns about national security based on Israeli records.
However, in a 2008 ruling, an immigration judge sided with Qatanani, deeming the evidence presented by the government as unreliable and downplaying the significance of Israeli court documents used to back the allegations. The judge concluded that the government failed to establish Qatanani’s involvement in terrorist activities.
Court records further raised concerns about the reliability of statements attributed to Qatanani, including whether they may have been obtained under coercive conditions. Subsequent rulings over the years continued to favor him.
A federal appeals court ultimately blocked his deportation in 2025, ruling immigration officials acted improperly in attempting to reverse his legal status.
The [Board of Immigration Appeals] exceeded its authority when it attempted to undo Qatanani’s adjustment to LPR status by using an agency regulation in a manner inconsistent with the procedures set out by Congress,” the court wrote.
The decision focused on legal process rather than resolving the underlying allegations, finding federal authorities failed to follow required procedures after missing deadlines to challenge a key ruling granting him permanent residency.
It is unclear whether Sherrill was aware of Qatanani’s legal history at the time of her visit. Fox News Digital has reached out to the governor’s office for comment.
