A federal judge has instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to release a green card holder previously convicted of throwing a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli military officer’s home. He was accused of falsifying immigration records to conceal his criminal history.
On Thursday, Judge James Hanlon, nominated by President Donald Trump to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, mandated the release of Salah Salem Sarsour, a Palestinian activist from Jordan who has been a U.S. resident for 33 years.
Judge Hanlon stated in his ruling that Sarsour’s speech is protected under the First Amendment, and that U.S. federal authorities had been aware of his past convictions in Israel for decades without taking any action to arrest or deport him.
Sarsour was convicted in 1989 for throwing petrol bombs and stones at Israeli military residences, and again in 1995 for trying to possess weapons and ammunition.
“The U.S. government has known about these allegations against Mr. Sarsour for 25 years, considering them during evaluations of his naturalization status in 2000, 2008, 2010, and 2019,” Hanlon noted.
Sarsour came to the United States in 1993 on an immigrant visa, later adjusting his status to conditional legal resident. By 1998, he became a lawful permanent resident with a green card. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) approved his naturalization application in 2002, though he was never naturalized.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) expressed their approval of Sarsour’s release from ICE custody.
“Today’s court ruling marks a significant step towards justice for Salah Sarsour, a respected leader within the Muslim community whose detention has inflicted considerable pain on his family and community,” commented CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.
“No individual should face repercussions for their faith, advocacy, or identity. We urge ICE to comply with the judge’s directives immediately, reuniting Mr. Sarsour with his family and putting an end to the concerning pattern of detaining and intimidating Muslims, Palestinians, and other community members,” Awad emphasized. “This situation highlights that due process, human dignity, and constitutional rights should always be upheld.”
The case is Sarsour vs. Swearingen, no. 2:26-cv-00224 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.
