The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today called on Wisconsin elected officials and political leaders from both parties to publicly repudiate a pattern of anti-Muslim and racist rhetoric by U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden (R-WI).
CAIR’s call comes after a published review of Rep. Van Orden’s public statements and social media activity documented repeated anti-Muslim comments.
The Milwaukee Courier found:
“When the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee was arrested by the Trump administration in April, Van Orden took to X to say, ‘I find it shocking that someone named: ‘Salah Salem Sarsour’ would be arrested for terrorism. This must be a mistake.’…
“In March, Van Orden found it ‘absolutely unacceptable’ that nearly half of the doctors in a Texas hospital’s residency program were Pakistani.
“In February, during the Pepin County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner, Van Orden said the United States was susceptible to a domestic terrorist attack from people in big cities with Islamic populations.
“’It is indisputable that there are radical Muslim sleeper cells here in America murdering American citizens. It is also indisputable that there are people here in America that are being radicalized currently by foolish democrat politician’s hate America rhetoric,’ he wrote on X on March 13.”
SEE: Van Orden’s social media history shows pattern of anti-Muslim, racist comments -Milwaukee Courier
In a statement, CAIR said:
“An elected member of Congress should never traffic in conspiracy theories, collective smears, or dehumanizing rhetoric directed at an entire faith community. Representative Van Orden’s repeated amplification of hateful stereotypes about Muslims helps fuel the climate of hostility that has contributed to rising anti-Muslim discrimination and violence. Wisconsin leaders should make clear that this type of bigotry has no place in the United States Congress.”
CAIR has repeatedly condemned hate rhetoric and actions by public officials.
Yesterday, CAIR’s Minnesota chapter called on members of Congress to publicly rebuke U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) for racist and xenophobic remarks targeting Somali Americans.
Washington, D.C., based CAIR’s latest civil rights report documented 8,683 anti-Muslim bias complaints in 2025 – the highest number ever recorded by the organization since it began publishing civil rights reports in 1996.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com