A Dallas Muslim Community Leader's Detention Raises Questions About Immigration Enforcement
The detention of Marwan Marouf, a respected leader in the Dallas Muslim community, has sent shockwaves through the city. For over 50 days, Marouf, 54, has been held at the Bluebonnet facility in Anson, Texas, without his family or access to medical care due to his serious heart condition.
Marouf's case is a microcosm of the broader immigration enforcement campaign that has targeted long-time residents with deep community ties. His arrest on September 22 was a chaotic one, marked by seven unmarked ICE vehicles pulling him over and officials detaining him in just minutes. The government's allegations against Marouf include overstaying his visa, soliciting funds for the Holy Land Foundation, a charity that raised funds for humanitarian aid in Palestinian territories.
However, Marouf's friends and family deny all of these claims as false, pointing out that he volunteered to watch children at Holy Land Foundation fundraisers and made a small monthly donation to sponsor a Palestinian orphan. "Imagine 20 years later, the government is still coming after you for that," said Mohammed Marouf, his eldest son.
The case against Marouf has been described as deeply troubling by advocates, who argue that it reflects a broader pattern of targeting long-time residents with deep community ties under the banner of immigration enforcement. "Marwan's case reflects a deeply troubling pattern we are seeing across the country," said Marium Uddin, legal director of Muslim Legal Fund of America.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied comment on the case. However, the community is rallying behind Marouf, with a petition demanding his release from ICE detention having garnered over 17,000 signatures and supporters sending more than 60,000 letters to their congresspeople pressing them to call for his release.
Marouf's arrest has also had a chilling effect on other members of the community. A local photojournalist and DACA recipient who has been documenting Marouf's case was detained by ICE, while another British Muslim journalist whose visa was revoked was forced into hiding.
Despite the upheaval, the community is not giving up hope. The day after Marouf's detention, community members gathered at the MAS center for a town hall to process their loss, and a group of around 10 community members started the Justice for Marwan campaign, which aims to keep his story in the forefront until he is freed.
"We're really holding on to hope and trying to fill that gap to keep the community optimistic that we will have him back soon," said Noor Wadi, a federal criminal defense lawyer and leader of the Justice for Marwan campaign. "It's been hard to start to come to terms with the fact that this is a longer process."
The detention of Marwan Marouf, a respected leader in the Dallas Muslim community, has sent shockwaves through the city. For over 50 days, Marouf, 54, has been held at the Bluebonnet facility in Anson, Texas, without his family or access to medical care due to his serious heart condition.
Marouf's case is a microcosm of the broader immigration enforcement campaign that has targeted long-time residents with deep community ties. His arrest on September 22 was a chaotic one, marked by seven unmarked ICE vehicles pulling him over and officials detaining him in just minutes. The government's allegations against Marouf include overstaying his visa, soliciting funds for the Holy Land Foundation, a charity that raised funds for humanitarian aid in Palestinian territories.
However, Marouf's friends and family deny all of these claims as false, pointing out that he volunteered to watch children at Holy Land Foundation fundraisers and made a small monthly donation to sponsor a Palestinian orphan. "Imagine 20 years later, the government is still coming after you for that," said Mohammed Marouf, his eldest son.
The case against Marouf has been described as deeply troubling by advocates, who argue that it reflects a broader pattern of targeting long-time residents with deep community ties under the banner of immigration enforcement. "Marwan's case reflects a deeply troubling pattern we are seeing across the country," said Marium Uddin, legal director of Muslim Legal Fund of America.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied comment on the case. However, the community is rallying behind Marouf, with a petition demanding his release from ICE detention having garnered over 17,000 signatures and supporters sending more than 60,000 letters to their congresspeople pressing them to call for his release.
Marouf's arrest has also had a chilling effect on other members of the community. A local photojournalist and DACA recipient who has been documenting Marouf's case was detained by ICE, while another British Muslim journalist whose visa was revoked was forced into hiding.
Despite the upheaval, the community is not giving up hope. The day after Marouf's detention, community members gathered at the MAS center for a town hall to process their loss, and a group of around 10 community members started the Justice for Marwan campaign, which aims to keep his story in the forefront until he is freed.
"We're really holding on to hope and trying to fill that gap to keep the community optimistic that we will have him back soon," said Noor Wadi, a federal criminal defense lawyer and leader of the Justice for Marwan campaign. "It's been hard to start to come to terms with the fact that this is a longer process."
I'm seriously worried about Marwan Marouf's case it's like they're coming after him just because he's a Muslim and has a serious heart condition 
. 50 days without his family or medical care? It's absolutely unacceptable! 
The fact that the government is making up claims against him and then detaining him for overstaying his visa when he's clearly not a threat to anyone is just mind-boggling. 
And what about the community? People are living in fear after this arrest, it's like they're under siege 
.
It's not right to punish them for trying to live a better life or make ends meet. 
We need to stand up for Marwan and others like him, we can't let fear and misinformation dictate our actions 
.
. The petition and letters to congress are just the beginning – we need real change on a national level 
. No more targeting people based on their faith or immigration status! 
We're all human beings deserving of dignity and respect 
.
ICE is supposed to be helping people, not terrorizing them 
. I'm all for due process, but 50 days without any resolution? That's just ridiculous! We need to get our leaders to sort this out ASAP 
.
50 days without his family or medical care? That's just crazy 
.
. That's all we need right now – a happy ending 
.
. The community is coming together to support him and I'm loving the Justice for Marwan campaign - all those signatures and letters to congress are making a difference, right? 
. We need to keep spreading awareness and holding our leaders accountable for this kind of thing 
. The gov should be doing more than just pointing fingers at ppl who wanna help 
. Marwan's story is a perfect example of how immigration enforcement targets ppl with deep community ties 
. marouf was just trying to live his life & help others, but now he's being held without basic human rights. 50 days is a looong time, especially with a heart condition 
. we need to demand more transparency & accountability from our gov 
. marwans case is a microcosm of the systemic issues in our country & it's time for change 
. It's like they're showing the world what it means to be strong and supportive in the face of uncertainty. And those numbers - 17k signatures on a petition and over 60k letters sent to congresspeople? That's just mind-blowing 
. But you know what's even more amazing? The fact that Marouf is still holding on to hope, even when things seem really bleak 
!
... like how can he just be held in detention without seeing his family or getting proper medical care? 
The fact that the government is targeting community leaders like this is just scary 
what needs to happen for them to take action & get marwan out of there? 
. Newsflash: it won't work. People will keep speaking out and standing up for what's right, even if it means putting themselves in harm's way 
. the fact that they're targeting ppl who've been here for years & have deep roots in the community is just insane 
. it's not like marouf committed any crime, he was just a respected leader trying to do some good 
. we need to stand with marouf & his community & demand his release ASAP! 
. We need to keep showing support for Marwan and his family until he's released from those ICE facilities ASAP! 
That's just inhumane. And to think he was just volunteering and donating small amounts to help others... 
, but we need more action from our congresspeople 
. I mean, what's next? Detaining seniors for overstaying their visa? It's like they're trying to break everyone's spirits 
. The fact that ICE is targeting long-time residents with community ties like Marwan's is just plain cowardly 
, but at the same time, we have to be realistic about the system... or lack thereof 
.