Judge orders ICE to free Wisconsin mosque leader over 'substantial' free speech claim after criticizing Israel

A federal judge on Thursday ordered immigration officials to free the Palestinian president of Wisconsin's largest mosque from custody, ruling that the man raised a "substantial" free speech claim that he was targeted for speaking out in support of Palestinian rights.

Sarsour, a legal permanent resident in the U.S., was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on March 30, with federal officials arguing he is a foreign policy threat.

But attorneys for Sarsour contend that he was detained for speaking out against Israel.

U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon, a nominee of President Donald Trump, wrote that attorneys for ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not offer enough evidence to disprove Sarsour's allegations of retaliation for free speech and that the government also failed to explain why Sarsour was deemed a threat after more than three decades of legal residency in the country.

PALESTINIAN ACTI...