Salah is free!

Photos by Yaseen Najeeb

Hundreds celebrated the return of Islamic Society of Milwaukee president Salah Sarsour Thursday from an Indiana jail, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement held him for 80 days.

“I am back, Alhamdulillah (all praise be to God),” Islamic Society of Milwaukee president Salah Sarsour told hundreds of supporters yesterday evening in an emotional homecoming at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. Gaunt after 80 days in detention, Sarsour smiled as tears filled his eyes. “I’m so happy I can’t say in words how I feel.”

Sarsour, 53, of Franklin arrived at the ISM a few minutes before 8 p.m. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement freed him 12 hours earlier from the Clay County Jail in Brazil, Indiana, when U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon ordered his immediate release. In his 29-page order, the judge noted Sarsour’s First Amendment claims “are substantial, which could render his detention unlawful.”

ICE agents arrested the legal U.S. resident of more than three decades on March 30 in Milwaukee, although he has no criminal record.

The New York Times reported in April, “It appears to be the latest case in which the administration has sought to deport someone who was active in pro-Palestinian causes.” In 2025, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio deemed Sarsour to be “a threat to the U.S. foreign policy interest of combating antisemitism.”

To a crowd that included mostly Muslims from across Greater Milwaukee, but also activists and concerned citizens who have rallied against Sarsour’s detention, he continued, “With God’s support, and because of great people like you, people of freedom who stood with justice, that’s why I’m back. I owe this to my community, to JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace), and to other organizations that did great work demanding justice.

“This is what’s unique about Milwaukee,” the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque declared. “We chose our path of justice and stand together as one body. I’m so proud of you.

“I am back to serve our community. We have a lot of projects to do for the future, for our children.”

Videographer Yaseen Najeeb captured the first moments of Salah Sarsour’s release from ICE detention, where Sarsour is greeted by two of his sons, his son-in-law, and close friends Othman Atta and Munjed Ahmad.

A community celebrates 

“Salah is free!” 

The message began circulating in chat groups before 8 a.m. yesterday. Many “Alhamdulillahs!” (all praise be to God) followed. 

ISM director Othman Atta and attorney Munjed Ahmad, both close friends of Sarsour, joined two of his sons and his son-in-law on the 600-mile round trip to bring the community leader back to Milwaukee. As they got closer, the home crowd started planning.

“Should we meet them in Racine and drive in a caravan?” one suggested. 

“Are we all meeting at ISM?” asked another.

“What time?”

“7:30 p.m.,” someone replied.

“Let’s get there at 7 so we are waiting for him.”

Around 7:30 p.m., cars poured into the ISM parking lot. Sweets filled a table set up in the adjacent grass and volunteers stood by to serve Arabic coffee in small paper cups. Friends smiled and hugged, many thanking God for this blessing.

When a large SUV with a Palestinian flag hoisted through the sunroof crossed the lot, drums pounded an Arabic beat. Journalists with tripods and cameras moved from one side to another, anticipating the direction from which they would come.

When the SUV stopped, Sarsour eagerly hopped out, smiling broadly. His brother and other family members moved in for hugs. 

“Make room for the baby,” someone shouted, and the crowd parted. Sarsour’s daughter stepped forward, her infant in her arms. The father of six took his first look at his new grandchild, his 10th, and hugged his daughter. Tears streamed down both their faces.

As the crowd tightened around him, Sarsour said, “I need to see my mother.” Someone pointed to where she waited in a car. He opened the car door, leaned over and held her. 

“They haven’t seen each other for three months, when he used to see her every day,” someone said. Sarsour is her caregiver.

The beloved community leader moved from the arms of one relative or friend to another, occasionally leaning over to kiss one of his grandchildren or stretching out an arm to shake hands, as he did with Jodi Melamed of JVP, the lead organizer of last Sunday’s “Jews for Salah” vigil that brought 150 people (Jews and non-Jews) from across the political spectrum to the Indiana detention center. State Rep. Ryan Clancy and U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore had joined them. 

“Thank you for what you did for me,” he told her.

Salah Sarsour held his new grandson for the first time Thursday. The baby was born while Sarsour was held by ICE in an Indiana jail.

“All of these Jews coming together from such diverse places speaks to the power of Salah’s story and to our commitment not to let him be taken from us in the name of Jewish safety,” Melamed told the Wisconsin Muslim Journal days before the vigil. “We oppose the state terror done in the name of Jewish Americans against Salah and other Palestinians.”

Someone shouted, “Takbir!”

Others answered, “Allahu Akbar!”  The call and response is a reminder for Muslims that, no matter the situation, God is greater.

“Obviously, we are extremely happy with the judge’s decision,” Atta told WMJ. We feel the judge made a decision based on the law. He indicated that everyone here who’s a resident or a citizen has a First Amendment right to free speech. He recognized Salah’s advocacy for Palestine and Palestinians, and the people of Gaza, as his absolute right. 

“The judge also talked about the extraordinary circumstances,” Atta said. “He mentioned that Salah has been here for 30-some years, that he has an exemplary record here, that the government knew about the accusations, which we know are false accusations, by the Israelis. The U.S. government knew about them and didn’t do anything for decades, so this was seen by the judge as a political decision by this administration. He felt that their legal arguments were not valid. 

“We’re very happy about that and we’re happy Salah is able to join his immediate family and his extended family, which is all of us.

“When he was in jail, he was actually helping people,” Atta added with pride, “helping them with their English, translating things for them, doing whatever he could for them. That’s the kind of person he is.

“We’re ecstatic. We’re really overjoyed. It’s good to have him back!”

Sarsour’s supportive community

While Sarsour was locked away in the Clay County Jail, a big community rallied to support him. Wisconsin’s Muslim community, peace and human rights activists, Jews, Christians, and other concerned citizens came together as soon as they got the news. A huge, diverse crowd gathered at the ISM Community Center to show their support at a press conference convened to draw attention to his case. 

Many who know him wrote statements about his character for his legal team. Friends and others moved by his situation wrote letters to encourage him while he was in jail. Sarsour’s physician Waleed Najeeb wrote multiple letters to the Department of Homeland Security and elected officials, expressing concern about Sarsour’s declining health. 

Local and national organizations put out statements condemning his detention. The City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County passed resolutions calling for his release. Congresswoman Gwen Moore made two well-check visits and raised concerns about his treatment. After her visit last Sunday, Rep. Moore issued a statement that said: “Over the course of two visits, I observed troubling signs of declining health and raised serious concerns about the conditions of his confinement. No person in ICE custody should be denied adequate nutrition, medical attention, or humane treatment.”

Rep. Moore and U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin issued statements condemning his detention. 

And last weekend, a Jewish-led vigil outside the Clay County Jail brightened his spirits, his attorney Munjed Ahmad told the crowd celebrating his release.

State Representatives Francesca Hong and Ryan Clancy marked the release with posts on X. 

“Overjoyed to learn that Salah Sarsour will finally be going home to his family,” Hong wrote. “But let’s be clear: This was an injustice from day one. We must abolish ICE!”

Clancy agreed. “I recommend reading Judge Hanlon’s ruling. It shows that Sarsour’s detention is an act of political persecution, another abuse of federal enforcement resources & part of a program to punish solidarity with the Palestinian people.”

In a press release yesterday, Congresswoman Moore said, “The court’s ruling affirms what many of us have been saying for months: Mr. Sarsour’s continued detention was unjustifiable,” Moore continued. “Thank you to the legal advocates, community leaders, and family members who fought tirelessly for Mr. Sarsour’s release.”

“The Milwaukee community led the efforts to bring Salah’s release, but we were joined by people and groups from across the country,” said Muslim Women’s Coalition executive director Janan Najeeb. “It involved people of many faiths and ideologies. There was incredible support from numerous anti-Zionist Jewish groups like Jewish Voice for Peace, along with the Muslim community. Elected officials like Congresswoman Moore and State Rep. Ryan Clancy were tireless.

“Everyone realized the immense danger Salah’s abduction by ICE posed,” she said. “When a 32-year legal resident with a clean record is being locked away for speaking out for Palestinian human rights, and the administration acknowledged that, it means we are watching the dismantling of our democracy. I am so thankful the judge who ordered him released saw right through that.”