Mosque Leader Alleges Medical Neglect in ICE Custody as Attorneys Seek Release
Franklin-Attorneys for Salah Sarsour, the Palestinian-born president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, urged a federal judge on Monday to release him from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, alleging that inadequate treatment for his Type 2 diabetes has led to significant weight loss and a deterioration in his health while his immigration case proceeds.
Sarsour, a legal permanent resident of the United States who has lived in the country for more than three decades, was detained by ICE agents in April and is currently being held in a county jail in Indiana. His attorneys contend that authorities have failed to provide consistent monitoring of his blood sugar levels and warned that the alleged lack of care could expose him to serious medical complications.
During a hearing before U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon, attorneys said Sarsour had lost approximately 30 pounds since entering detention. They argued that his condition continues to worsen and called for his immediate release while legal proceedings continue.
“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,” attorney Luna Droubi said in a statement following the hearing. She added that the judge raised questions regarding the medical care being provided to Sarsour.
According to a letter submitted to the court by Sarsour’s legal team, he recently experienced severe abdominal pain but was told jail officials could not assist him and that he would need to purchase his own medication. The attorneys also alleged that his blood sugar levels have not been checked consistently despite his diabetic condition.
Officials from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Court filings submitted by government attorneys in the case were not immediately available for public review because they appeared to be sealed in federal court records.
Sarsour’s attorneys have challenged the basis for his detention, describing allegations that he poses a foreign policy threat as unfounded. They argue that he was targeted because of his public criticism of Israel and because of a conviction handed down by Israeli military courts when he was a minor. They noted that he has no criminal record in the United States.The legal filing also detailed allegations concerning Sarsour’s treatment while in custody.
His attorneys said jail guards denied him access to a Qur’an and repeatedly interrupted him during prayers. They further alleged that when he requested food suitable for managing his diabetes, he was advised to purchase BBQ pork rinds from the commissary despite religious dietary restrictions associated with his Muslim faith.
“My dad would have been starting his day as usual by checking in on my grandmother and heading to work,” his son, Kareem Sarsour, said in a statement. “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.”
The allegations mirror claims raised in numerous lawsuits filed by immigration detainees across the United States. A joint investigation by KFF Health News and The Associated Press found that hundreds of detainees in at least 33 states have alleged inadequate medical treatment while in immigration custody, including delayed or denied care for conditions such as diabetes, cancer, epilepsy, HIV, high blood pressure and Parkinson’s disease.
