OPINION: A Double Standard at Department of Homeland Security

On June 18, U.S. District Judge James Hanlon ordered the release of Salah Sarsour, president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque, from nearly three months in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after finding evidence that his detention may have been tied to his pro-Palestinian speech.  He was freed hours later.

Sarsour, born in the West Bank city of Ramallah, is a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years and has no criminal record here.

The Department of Homeland Security cites Sarsour’s conviction as a teenager in an Israeli military court for throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers.  Sarsour and his family say the conviction was fabricated, and that he fled to the U.S. following torture in an Israeli military prison.  His lawyers challenge the conviction as false and argue that his detention was politically motivated, targeting him for pro-Palestinian advocacy.

In contrast, Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was convicted as an adult in Israel of supporting a terrorist organization and incitement to racism against Arabs.  Yet in April 2025, Representatives Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Brian Mast (R-Florida), who is chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, welcomed Ben-Gvir to their offices on Capitol Hill.

At a dinner at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Ben-Gvir also advocated for the bombing of food depots in Gaza.  More recently, on June 19 of this year he declared that “all of Lebanon must burn!”

Notably, Ben-Gvir is scheduled to attend a United Nations policing conference in New York in July.  Why is he granted a visa?  By the standards the United States applies to others, Itamar Ben-Gvir would be deemed a persona non grata and forbidden entry into the United States.

Salah Sarsour’s case reveals a troubling double standard in U.S. immigration policy.  Justice cannot be selective.  If the United States claims to uphold human rights and free speech, it must apply those principles consistently — especially to lawful permanent residents who have lived here without incident for decades.