ICE says Marouf overstayed his visa and provided “material support” to a Tier III undesignated terrorist organization; his attorneys call the case politically motivated and without evidence.
Federal immigration authorities have moved to deport 54-year-old Marwan Marouf, a Dallas Muslim community leader, to Jordan, following allegations of terrorist connections, visa violations, and financial ties to organizations linked to Hamas — accusations his attorneys strongly dispute.
According to ICE officials, Marouf — the director of public relations and fundraising for the Muslim American Society (MAS) of Dallas–Fort Worth — was arrested on September 22 and charged with:
- Lack of a valid entry document
- Solicitation of funds for a Tier III undesignated terrorist organization
- Material support of terrorism
An ICE spokesperson told The Dallas Express that Marouf is an “illegal alien from Jordan” who entered the U.S. in 2009 on a non-immigrant visa and failed to leave when it expired in February 2011.
“He has been living in the U.S. illegally for over a decade,” the spokesperson said.
Marouf was issued a Notice to Appear before an immigration judge. During proceedings, he requested voluntary departure, but Judge Abdias Tida denied the request, citing evidence of past donations to the Holy Land Foundation, a Richardson-based nonprofit shut down for acting as a front for Hamas.
His lawyers — from the Muslim Legal Fund of America — insist the charges are unfounded.
“DHS is trying to alchemize a terror case out of thin air,” said attorney Hassan Ahmad, arguing that prosecutors are misusing decades-old charitable activity to fabricate wrongdoing.
ALLEGED TERROR LINKS CENTER ON HOLY LAND FOUNDATION CASE
Federal documents allege Marouf donated to the Holy Land Foundation (HLF) during the 1990s. HLF was designated and later convicted as a Hamas front organization in 2008 — one of the largest terror-financing cases in U.S. history.
Marouf is also related by marriage to members of the Elashi family, several of whom were convicted in the HLF case and a separate 2004 prosecution involving business transactions with a Hamas operative.
Community organizations including CAIR–Texas and MAS-DFW have publicly defended Marouf, calling him a “pillar of the community.”
COMMUNITY BACKLASH: RALLIES AND PUBLIC STATEMENTS
Following Marouf’s arrest, prominent Texas imam Omar Suleiman, founder of the Yaqeen Institute, condemned ICE’s actions, calling Marouf “the heart of our community.”
Suleiman claimed on X that ICE “abducted him” after he dropped his child at school. That evening, he headlined a rally supporting Marouf at MAS-DFW, urging attendees to treat him as a political prisoner and to “fight with everything we’ve got.”
Additional speakers included Senior Imam Mohamad Baajour of the East Plano Islamic Center — itself recently scrutinized by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for its “EPIC City” development project.
Baajour framed the arrest as a spiritual “test,” promising Marouf would soon return.
GOVERNMENT POSITION VS. DEFENSE CLAIMS
ICE argues Marouf’s removal follows the agency’s mandate to enforce immigration law and target individuals involved with terror-linked groups.
Marouf’s defense team says the government is relying on:
- non-criminal, pre-designation donations from decades ago
- retroactive interpretations of terror statutes
- guilt-by-association
They argue Marouf has never been charged or convicted of terrorism in any court.
