Marwan Marouf spent thirty years in Dallas before ICE agents took him into custody on September 22 while he was dropping off his son at school. The Muslim community, along with civil rights organizations, strongly protested the arrest because they believe it represents a broader effort to target Muslim leaders.
The Muslim Legal Fund of America stated that ICE agents denied Marouf’s green card application through outdated information from more than ten years ago, which failed to evaluate his current permanent resident status at the time of his arrest.
Community Leader’s Decades of Service
Marouf served as the public relations and fundraising director for the Muslim American Society-Dallas for several years, establishing connections with North Texas communities over multiple decades. He has worked to create the most notable Boy Scout troop in North Dallas, while leading youth drug awareness programs, serving as a Red Cross disaster relief first responder, and coordinating food deliveries to hospitals and shelters during COVID-19 and winter storms.
The community lost its core when ICE removed Marouf, according to Imam Omar Suleiman, a prominent Dallas faith leader and close friend of Marouf. Mohammed explained his father’s complete commitment to the community by saying, “My dad has dedicated his heart and soul and all his time for thirty years to serve this community, which extends beyond Dallas Muslims to encompass the entire Dallas community.”
Immigration Journey and Legal Battle
Marouf arrived in the United States as an international student more than thirty years ago while maintaining proper immigration documentation. The company supported his visa applications for temporary work and permanent residency for 15 years until U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services started an investigation into his charitable activities.
The Muslim Legal Fund of America has protected Marouf since 2016 by showing that the green card denial process was unfair because it failed to consider essential proof of his eligibility. “The organization declared through its press release that MLFA functions to create fundamental fairness because the present system fails to deliver it.
Holy Land Foundation Connection Sparks Controversy
Marouf faces government charges from the Holy Land Foundation investigation, which took place during the early 2000s when five defendants received convictions for sending millions to terrorist groups. Department of Homeland Security officials stated: “If you are pushing Hamas propaganda, supporting terrorist organizations and conducting other anti-American actions, you will face consequences”.
However, Marouf’s attorneys maintain he donated to the Holy Land Foundation before any accusations of prohibited activities emerged, arguing “there was no way for Marouf or the thousands who donated and volunteered alongside him to know that HLF would later be accused of prohibited activities”. The legal team views present-day law enforcement activities as political strategies that target specific demographic groups..
Community Mobilizes with Press Conference at City Hall
The Justice4Marwan campaign organized a press conference at Richardson City Hall for September 30 at 10 a.m. to bring together community leaders, legal advocates, and supporters who demanded Marouf’s immediate release. The immigration officials used the event as a group monitoring operation until his legal team took over his court case.
The justice4marwan campaign has been posting daily updates since his arrest, and the fifth day of his detention fits into their ongoing documentation of what they see as Muslim community leader persecution. The Muslim Legal Fund of America attorneys used the platform to present their legal approach, which targeted both the detention and the original green card denial decision.
