North Texas community leader held by ICE will be deported, judge rules
After Marwan Marouf spent 60 days in ICE detention, an immigration judge issued a removal order Thursday for the longtime North Texas community leader.
After a period of private discussion between the lawyer for the government and Marouf’s attorneys, the attorney for the Department of Homeland Security agreed that Marouf was legally eligible for voluntary departure.
Judge Abdias Tida of the Houston - Jefferson Street Immigration Court disagreed and ruled Marouf was not eligible for voluntary departure because the government has charged him with engaging in terrorist activity. The judge ordered instead that he be deported to Jordan, where he is a citizen.
Marouf, who lives in Richardson and has been in the U.S. for over 30 years, was picked up by ICE agents on Sept. 22 after dropping his son off at school. The agents said his application for a green card had been denied. He was being held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson.
DHS then accused Marouf of soliciting funds for the Holy Land Foundation, which was designated a terror organization in 2001.
Marouf, his family and his lawyers deny any wrongdoing and say the allegations stem from his time as a volunteer at HLF before its designation as a terrorist organization under the Patriot Act following the Sept. 11 attacks.
“This case is a cautionary tale about what happens when systems collapse,” Marium Uddin, legal director of the Muslim Legal Fund of America and lead counsel for Marouf, said in a statement. “When legal processes are weaponized, and when entire communities are treated as suspect simply for existing, it is a stain on our legal and moral fabric that cannot be undone by the next election or the next memo.”
On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson — a Democrat representing Texas’ District 32, which includes Richardson — spoke on the House floor and asked that Marouf be granted humanitarian parole due to his health, his service to the community, and his lack of a criminal record.
“This is a man who founded the largest Boy Scout troop in North Texas, who delivered food and supplies to families across our community during the pandemic, and was recognized by the City of Richardson for his outstanding service to our community,” Johnson said.
Rep. Salman Bhojani, District 92, wrote an opinion column in the Star-Telegram saying Marouf’s case sends a “chilling message” and “undermines public trust.”
Uddin urged the court to consider his years of public service and his commitment to his family and community.
“Despite presenting documentary submissions replete with substantial evidence of world-class expert reports and statements of exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to his family members in the face of a removal order,” Uddin said in a statement. “Despite the support of hundreds of community members and multiple Congressional allies; and despite his grave medical condition, our appeals for humanitarian release, fair consideration, and simple due process were denied.”
Uddin said that the decision to request voluntary departure was made because of Marouf’s deteriorating health condition due to his diagnosis of Brugada syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can make the heart’s chambers beat abnormally.
Voluntary departure would have allowed Marouf to be released from custody and remain in the United States for up to 60 days before leaving the country at his own expense, attorneys said.
As an alternative, the lawyer for DHS and Marouf’s attorneys agreed to ask for a fast deportation process because of his health conditions.
Judge Tida denied the request for expedited deportation, saying it was outside his authority, KERA News reported. “While I empathize deeply with the situation, my hands are tied,” the judge said. “Based on the nature of the charges and the statutory limitations before me, I cannot grant voluntary departure. While I understand the medical concerns, the court is bound by the regulatory framework.”
Marouf is expected to be deported to Jordan within two weeks.
Uddin said his prolonged detention is causing a physical strain and an emotional toll on his health.
“Marwan’s detention and removal represent a profound loss — not just for his family, but for the community he has served faithfully for over three decades,” Uddin said. “It is easy to say Marwan has lost America. But the truth cuts the other way: America has lost Marwan, and in doing so, has lost a piece of its own promise.”