Attorneys say Wisconsin mosque president denied diabetes care in ICE custody

Attorneys for the president of Wisconsin’s largest mosque say he is being denied basic medical care for diabetes and has lost 30 pounds since he was taken into custody two months ago by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian-born legal permanent resident who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years, was detained by ICE agents in April.

His attorneys say he has no criminal record in the United States and is being held on claims that he poses a foreign-policy threat.

Medical concerns raised in court filing Sarsour’s attorneys told a federal judge on Monday that his blood-sugar levels are not being checked consistently and that he recently developed severe abdominal pain. They wrote that jail officials told him they could not help and that he must purchase his own medication.

The same filing states that when Sarsour requested a diet to stabilize his blood sugar, he was told to buy BBQ pork rinds from the commissary, which would violate his religious dietary restrictions. His attorneys also reported that guards have denied him access to a Quran and have interrupted his prayers.

Request for release Attorneys are asking the judge to release Sarsour while his immigration case continues. They said his health continues to deteriorate and that he is at risk of organ failure if his diabetes is left untreated. Sarsour is being held in an Indiana county jail.

Officials with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and court documents filed by attorneys for the agencies appear to be sealed.