ICE Arrests Longtime Texas Resident Alleging PLO Membership and Criminal Status
Federal authorities have detained Maher Mohd Tarabishi, a 62-year-old Jordanian national living in Dallas, Texas, following allegations regarding his immigration status and past associations. Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Tarabishi into custody on October 28 during what his family described as a routine annual check-in at the Dallas field office.
According to a statement released by ICE, Tarabishi is classified as a “criminal alien” and a “self-admitted member of the Palestine Liberation Organization” (PLO). The agency emphasized that the PLO has historically been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. ICE officials expressed concern that Tarabishi had been permitted to remain in the country for nearly two decades despite these alleged admissions and prior removal orders issued by both an immigration judge and the Board of Immigration Appeals. The agency further stated that the Obama administration had filed a motion to dismiss his immigration case in 2011, a decision ICE characterizes as allowing him to stay despite the existing removal order.
The Tarabishi family and their legal representatives have strongly contested ICE’s characterization of Maher. They assert that he has no criminal record in the United States and deny any affiliation with the PLO or terrorist activities. Family members claim the allegation of PLO membership is factually incorrect and may stem from errors made by a previous attorney who was later found to be practicing law fraudulently. Tarabishi’s current legal counsel stated that his client has lived in the U.S. peacefully since entering on a tourist visa in 1994 and has consistently complied with all government requirements.
For the past 17 years, Tarabishi remained in the U.S. under a government-issued “Order of Supervision.” This legal arrangement permitted him to stay in the country specifically to serve as the primary caregiver for his U.S. citizen son, Wael Tarabishi, who suffered from Pompe disease, a severe and progressive genetic disorder that rendered him bedridden and dependent on round-the-clock care. The supervision order required Maher to report to immigration officials annually, which his family says he did without incident until his arrest in October.
The situation escalated tragically following the detention. Wael Tarabishi’s health deteriorated rapidly in his father’s absence, leading to his hospitalization. Wael passed away on January 23, 2026, at the age of 30. Despite pleas from the family and advocacy groups for a temporary humanitarian release, ICE denied Tarabishi permission to attend his son’s funeral.
Background information on the legal context reveals that while the U.S. designated the PLO a terrorist organization in 1987, the group has also served as the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people, with the U.S. maintaining diplomatic relations with PLO officials at various times. Immigration law experts note that “admission” of membership in such proceedings can sometimes result from broad interpretations of political affiliation or ineffective legal counsel during asylum applications. Tarabishi remains in custody at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas, as his legal team petitions for his release.
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