The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today joined a coalition of Muslim community and civil rights organizations to call for the immediate release of Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian-American Muslim community leader from Milwaukee currently being detained by ICE.
Sarsour, who has lived in the United States legally for 32 years and serves as the president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, was abducted by ICE on Monday. He was pulled over while driving by over 10 ICE agents with no cause. He was taken out of state to a detention facility in Chicago before being transferred to a detention center in Indiana. His family was left scrambling to determine his whereabouts and his condition.
In a joint letter, CAIR and partners called on community members to contribute to the fund to advocate for Salah Sarsour and to share their stories or a memory of Sarsour and use the hashtag #FreeSalahSarsour
SEE: President of Islamic Society of Milwaukee detained by ICE, according to organization – WPR
SEE ALSO:Islamic Society of Milwaukee president Salah Sarsour detained by ICE
In a statement, CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said:
“The abduction of Mr. Sarsour, a beloved leader of Milwaukee’s Muslim community, is utterly unjust and cruel. Once again, the administration is targeting a Palestinian-American for having the courage to be a leader and to stand against injustice. We call for his immediate release and return to his family.”
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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