A federal immigration judge has ruled that Salah Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, is deportable, finding that the government can pursue his removal under a foreign-policy provision of immigration law. Judge Jayme Salinardi rejected Department of Homeland Security allegations that Sarsour lied on his green card application more than 30 years ago and registered to vote before becoming a citizen. But Salinardi accepted the government’s position that Sarsour’s advocacy for Palestinian rights undermines U.S. foreign policy, giving what his attorneys described as “extreme deference” to a 2025 memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ruling does not mean Sarsour will be removed immediately. His attorneys say the next stage will determine whether he qualifies for relief, such as asylum. Immigration attorney Patrick Taurel said he intends to appeal and expects proceedings to continue into next year before a different judge. Sarsour may eventually appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Taurel said. Salinardi announced his retirement the same morning he issued the ruling. Attorney Luna Droubi, who represents Sarsour in a separate federal lawsuit alleging First Amendment retaliation, called the timing “odd.” Taurel said Sarsour was disappointed by the decision but not surprised. Immigration agents arrested Sarsour in Milwaukee in late March and transferred him to a detention center in Indiana. A federal judge ordered his release in June, citing, among other factors, a substantial claim that the government had retaliated against him for protected speech. Sarsour is a legal permanent resident who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years. He has no U.S. criminal convictions, according to the account of his case presented by his attorneys. DHS has said Sarsour was convicted by Israeli military courts as a teenager of throwing Molotov cocktails during the First Intifada, and has cited a later weapons-related charge in Israel. His attorneys dispute the government’s account, saying he was convicted of throwing stones, not explosives. They presented testimony alleging that Israeli authorities tortured Sarsour into signing confessions in Hebrew, which he does not speak or read, and that Palestinians faced inadequate due process in the military court system. The government did not call witnesses or experts during the proceedings, according to Taurel. DHS also repeated its claim that Sarsour is a terrorist and said the judge had sustained the government’s case for deportation. His attorneys say the evidence does not support the allegations. The ruling has broader implications for immigrant political speech, Droubi said, arguing that using a foreign-policy provision against a Palestinian rights advocate could discourage noncitizens from speaking publicly. Sarsour’s lawyers say his immigration case is separate from the federal First Amendment lawsuit, which alleges he was targeted because of his advocacy. Taurel has also pointed to the cases of other Palestinian activists, including Mahmoud Khalil, in calling for Congress to repeal the rarely used foreign-policy ground for deportation. A bill introduced by Sens. Peter Welch of Vermont and Alex Padilla of California would do so. Sarsour was born in the West Bank and holds travel documents issued by Jordan, but is not a Jordanian citizen. His attorneys say that if he is ultimately deported, he would likely end up in Israeli territory. “Salah is determined to keep speaking out,” Taurel said.