The Texas Muslim leader Marwan Marouf stays imprisoned after federal authorities used terrorism-related charges to stop his Enforcement after federal immigration authorities rejected his humanitarian release application through introducing terrorism-related charges about his past charitable donations medical release from detention.
The Richardson community leader Marwan Marouf remains imprisoned by Immigration and Customs which his lawyers describe as baseless and incorrect. The 30-year Dallas resident Marouf faces an endless separation from his four children because of his fatal heart condition that requires specialized care which detention facilities cannot provide. At the same time, his legal situation becomes more complex according to reports from the Dallas Observer and KERA News.
Medical Crisis Meets Legal Roadblock
The legal team of Marouf arrived at federal immigration court on Thursday to present evidence about his Brugada syndrome diagnosis which requires immediate release from Bluebonnet detention center in West Texas. The medical literature from the American Heart Association and MSD Manuals shows that Brugada syndrome causes patients to experience syncope and fatal cardiac events through polymorphic ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation.
The father of four needs constant pacemaker monitoring from nurses because of his previous heart attack and his current heart condition but ICE detention facilities do not provide suitable cardiac care according to his legal representation.
The Department of Homeland Security presented new civil charges against Marouf less than 10 minutes before his scheduled hearing which blocked any possibility of medical release. The latest charges against Marouf stem from his 1990s and early 2000s work as a volunteer and financial supporter of a Palestinian orphan through the Richardson-based Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development before HLF received its terrorist organization designation from the federal government in 2001.
The Muslim Legal Fund of America legal director Marium Uddin told KERA News that “Decades-old repurposed allegations” continue to harm Brother Marwan while damaging his reputation and endangering his physical and mental well-being. The authorities have subjected him to a cruel form of oppression which amounts to an unjust treatment.
Arrest Timeline Raises Questions
ICE agents took Marouf into custody on September 22, 2025 right after he finished dropping his youngest child at school in Richardson. The immigration authorities made their arrest on the same day they refused his green card application which his lawyers believe was a deliberate move.
The immigration judge denied Marouf bond because authorities classified him as an “arriving alien” instead of a legal residency applicant despite his 30-year valid stay in the United States according to his attorneys.
The Dallas Observer reports that twenty-nine Texas House Representatives signed a joint letter demanding Marouf’s release from detention because they share bipartisan concerns about his situation.
Community Leader’s Extensive Service Record
The Muslim American Society-Dallas appointed Marouf as their public relations director and he took multiple leadership roles within the North Texas Islamic Council. Newsweek and Dallas faith leader Imam Omar Suleiman confirmed that Marouf established the most considerable Boy Scout troop in Circle 10 District while leading youth drug awareness programs and serving as a Red Cross volunteer and disaster-relief first responder.
The Richardson City Council passed a formal proclamation in early 2024 to honor Marouf’s pandemic relief work which united more than 20 local organizations to address COVID-19 emergency needs according to Suleiman.
The website of Suleiman states “ICE removed the heart of our community.” Marwan has shown unmatched kindness to everyone in his life throughout more than ten years of knowing him according to Suleiman.
Holy Land Foundation Case Resurfaces
The Justice Department labeled the Holy Land Foundation trial as the most significant terrorism-financing case in U.S. history when they prosecuted Marouf for his alleged terrorist organization ties in 2008. A Dallas federal jury convicted five HLF leaders on all 108 counts of funding Hamas with more than $12 million during the November 24, 2008 trial according to Department of Justice statements and archived Dallas News articles.The Justice Department reported through Patrick Rowan that the 2008 trial brought essential progress to America’s fight against terrorist financiers.
The five defendants received prison sentences between 15 years and 65 years according to Wikipedia documentation about the case.
Human Rights Watch together with civil rights advocates and scholarly legal publications have criticized the trial because it allegedly discriminated against Muslim Americans through hearsay evidence according to research.
Marouf operated at HLF before the organization received its terrorist designation in 2001 through his work with children’s programs and funding Palestinian orphans.
Pattern of Targeting Muslim Activists
The arrest of Marouf stands as part of a growing pattern of Muslim and Palestinian persecution which intensified after Donald Trump became president according to his family members and friends. The October 7 2025 ICE detention of Ya’akub Ira Vijandre serves as proof that ICE continues its aggressive enforcement practices against protected individuals including Filipino-American Muslim filmmaker Vijandre who received DACA protection.
The documentary filmmaker Ya’akub Ira Vijandre faced ICE detention outside his Dallas home while working on a film about Marouf’s North Texas community service at Bluebonnet facility according to Religion News Service.
The Muslim Legal Fund of America and the Council on American-Islamic Relations – Texas DFW issued a statement on October 8 which declared that ICE’s actions violate justice and represent both illegal conduct and an abusive exercise of power that infringes upon his rights according to Religion News Service.
The Trump administration has caused Immigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct more aggressive immigration enforcement activities. The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University reports that ICE maintained 59,762 detainees in their facilities on September 21 2025 which represents the highest detention numbers in history. The Vera Institute of Justice documented that detention facilities held 61,226 people on August 23 2025 while noting this number surpassed all previous detention records throughout the 16-year study period.
The Trump administration has conducted deportations of between 72,000 and 140,000 people since January 2025 according to TRAC Reports and Wikipedia documentation although the exact numbers remain disputed.
The October 2025 CNN report showed that ICE now conducts warrantless arrests and “collateral” arrests of people who happen to be present during their operations according to the agency.
Family Struggles Under Strain
The 25-year-old Malik Marouf now takes care of his youngest brother since their father left home. The ICE agents took Marouf into custody while his mother spent time with family members in Jordan. The family along with legal counsel told her to stay outside the United States because they feared additional persecution despite her green card status according to the Dallas Observer.
The responsibility of managing my brother’s emotional state and legal representation and financial expenses has become overwhelming for me since his father’s detention according to the Dallas Observer. The weight of responsibility has become too much for me to handle and it creates a great deal of stress.
During his visits to the Bluebonnet facility Malik can only communicate with his father through a glass partition while using a phone. Malik described the experience as though his father existed in a criminal status.
The way he always maintains a positive expression makes it impossible to determine his genuine emotions according to Malik. We understand him better than anyone else because we are his children. The moment he speaks and appears before you it becomes evident that he feels deep sadness.
What Happens Next
The legal team of Marouf will submit a habeas corpus petition to federal court to fight against his detention. The government will present its complete evidence during the October 23 2025 court hearing according to the Dallas Observer.Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt identified Marouf’s case as a key example which exposes essential issues about American democratic principles. According to the Dallas Observer Merritt explained to reporters that this case represents more than itself because it determines whether America operates as a democratic nation or an authoritarian regime. The current behavior of Americans resembles authoritarian rule according to Merritt. The decision in Marouf’s case will determine how immigration authorities treat past charitable donations and medical status in detention decisions while Muslim advocacy groups fight for his freedom and other community leaders who face similar situations throughout the United States.