Attorneys urge release of mosque leader, saying he's been denied
diabetes care in ICE custody
[June 09, 2026]
By REBECCA BOONE
Attorneys for the president of Wisconsin's largest mosque say he is
being denied basic medical care for diabetes and has lost 30 pounds in
the two months since he was detained by immigration officers.
Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian-born legal permanent resident of the United
States, was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agents in April. His attorneys say he is being detained on
baseless claims that he is a foreign policy threat, but they believe he
was actually targeted for speaking out against Israel and for a
conviction as a minor by Israeli military courts.
He has no criminal record in the U.S., where he has lived for more than
30 years.
Sarsour has Type 2 diabetes and his blood sugar levels aren't being
consistently checked, putting him at risk of organ failure or death if
left untreated, his attorneys told a federal judge on Monday. Sarsour is
being held in an Indiana county jail while his immigration case is
pending.
“We had the opportunity to make a direct, urgent appeal to the court
about the need for Salah’s release, including being able to report that
he has lost a staggering 30 pounds while in detention,” Luna Droubi, an
attorney for Sarsour, said in a press release. “The Judge raised
questions about the medical care Salah is receiving, and we will
continue to press this case.”
Officials with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not
immediately respond to a request for comment. Court documents filed by
attorneys representing DHS and ICE all appeared to be sealed in the
online federal court files, so any legal response to the allegations
raised by Sarsour's attorneys was not immediately available to view.
An investigation by KFF Health News and The Associated Press found that
hundreds of detainees in at least 33 states have filed federal lawsuits
with similar allegations of medical neglect. Those lawsuits include
other detainees who say they were denied medication or had treatment
delayed for conditions including cancer, high blood pressure, epilepsy,
Parkinson's, HIV, diabetes, infections, depression and more.
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This 2025 photo provided by the Islamic Society of Milwaukee shows
Salah Sarsour in Franklin, Wis. (Islamic Society of Milwaukee via
AP, File)
Sarsour's attorneys offered more details about his detention
conditions in a letter sent late last month to U.S. District Judge
James Patrick Hanlon. They are asking the judge to release Sarsour
while his case moves forward.
“Mr. Sarsour's health continues to deteriorate,” they wrote. “Though
he recently developed severe abdominal pain, he was told by
officials in the jail that they could not help him and that he must
purchase his own medication. His blood sugar levels are not being
consistently checked.”
Sarsour is also being tormented by jail guards who denied him access
to a Quran and who repeatedly interrupt him when he is trying to
pray in accordance with his Muslim faith, his attorneys said. When
Sarsour asked for an adequate diet to stabilize his blood sugar
levels, he was told to purchase BBQ pork rinds from the commissary,
even though that food would violate his religious beliefs and
dietary restrictions, his attorneys said.
“Just over two months ago, my dad would have been starting his day
as usual by checking in on my grandmother and heading to work,” said
Kareem Sarsour, Salah’s son. “We’re not only fighting now for my
dad’s legal right to be here, but also for his health — and basic
due process guaranteed by his constitutional rights to speak up
about injustice.”
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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.
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