Imam’s Refusal to Spy on Muslims Leads to US Detention

Case of Florida-based cleric reignites debate over post-9/11 surveillance and Muslim rights

By Abdullahi Yusuf

A Florida imam has been detained by U.S. immigration authorities after refusing FBI demands to inform on fellow Muslims, raising renewed concerns about the government’s use of deportation threats as leverage.

The Intercept reports that Imam Foad Farahi, who has lived in Florida for over 30 years, first faced pressure nearly two decades ago when FBI agents warned him that deportation could follow if he declined to spy on his community. Farahi refused but remained under surveillance.

In June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained him, transferring him through several facilities before sending him to the troubled Torrance County detention center in New Mexico.

Lawyers and rights advocates say Farahi’s case underscores how U.S. authorities have, since 9/11, used immigration enforcement not only for border control but also as a coercive tool. Immigrants are often forced into a stark choice: cooperate with the FBI or face detention, exile, or worse.

Farahi’s ordeal has fueled broader questions about the FBI’s role in weaponizing immigration law and the long-term consequences for Muslims who refuse to serve as government informants.

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