ICE Arrests Islamic Leader Accused Of Aiding Hamas. He’s Lived In The U.S. For Decades.

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.

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 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.

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. He is also a board member of the American Muslims for Palestine, a group that has faced scrutiny over alleged links to Hamas and its support for intifada in the wake of Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel.

“This terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” DHS said.

Today, @ICEgov arrested a Jordanian national with a prior conviction for THROWING A MOLOTOV COCKTAIL at the homes of Israeli Forces.

He lied on his immigration application and became a green card holder under President Clinton.

This terrorist will remain in ICE custody pending… https://t.co/L38liuCxVy pic.twitter.com/9IXWuo0t0f

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) April 2, 2026

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’s arrest.

“Targeting people because of their beliefs or background is wrong,” Evers said. “This is clearly about sowing division and fear and doesn’t help make Wisconsin safer. I’m thinking of Mr. Sarsour’s family in this difficult time, and I join [Rep. Gwen Moore]
in calling for his immediate release.”

Sarsour’s attorney said the Milwaukee Muslim leader received deportation papers from the Trump administration, which said that the State Department determined Sarsour “poses an adverse consequence to foreign policy considerations.” The man’s 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.

Hundreds of Muslims gathered for a rally at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s Salam School gym following the arrest of Sarsour, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported. Othman Atta, the executive director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee mosque told the crowd, “They want to criminalize advocacy for Palestine. That is the only reason that he is being targeted. There is nothing else.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to strip the legal status of immigrants found to be “Hamas supporters.” Last year, the Trump administration arrested 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.