Attorneys for Salah Sarsour, the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, told a federal judge Monday that the Palestinian-born legal permanent resident has lost 30 pounds and is being denied consistent blood sugar monitoring for his Type 2 diabetes while detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sarsour, who has no criminal record in the United States and has lived in the country for more than three decades, was taken into custody by ICE agents in April. His attorneys said in a filing that the government is holding him on baseless claims that he poses a foreign policy threat. They argued that Sarsour was actually targeted because of his public criticism of Israel and a conviction as a minor by Israeli military courts.
The case is before U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon in Indiana, where Sarsour is held at an unspecified county jail. In a Monday court filing, attorneys said Sarsour’s Type 2 diabetes requires regular blood sugar checks that are not being conducted consistently, placing him at risk of organ failure or death.
Sarsour has been denied proper medical care for his condition since his detention, his legal team said, leading to the significant weight loss over two months. The attorneys called on the court to intervene, arguing that the government’s failure to provide adequate monitoring violates his rights.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not publicly commented on the specific allegations. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Main Street Independent.
Sarsour is a leader of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, the state’s largest mosque. The case has drawn attention from civil liberties advocates and interfaith leaders, who have previously called for his release.