DEARBORN — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained an Iraqi immigrant who was among three men charged in connection with the alleged assault of far-right agitator Jake Lang during Dearborn’s annual Arbaeen march on August 2.

The development comes as Lang, an anti-Muslim agitator who has repeatedly targeted Dearborn, is reportedly planning another provocative visit to the city during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 18. Dearborn police have urged residents not to confront or engage with him or other outside groups expected to attend.

An ICE spokesperson said federal agents arrested Abbas Abdoush, 57, after he was released from local custody on August 5. He was subsequently taken to the North Lake Processing Center, an immigration detention facility in Baldwin in northern Michigan.

ICE described Abdoush as a “criminal illegal alien from Iraq” and said he would remain in federal custody while his immigration case proceeds.

Lang, known for organizing anti-Islam demonstrations in Dearborn and other cities with large Muslim populations, was confronted by several people after attempting to provoke participants in the Arbaeen march.

Videos circulated on social media appeared to show Abdoush approaching Lang and striking him from behind. Other individuals then chased Lang, and at least one person appeared to throw rocks at him before he fled toward police officers assigned to protect the march.

Dearborn police arrested Abdoush, a Detroit resident, the following day. He was charged with assault and battery and malicious destruction of personal property, according to the Dearborn Police Department and 19th District Court records.

Police later arrested two additional 25-year-old men — one from Detroit and one from Dearborn — in connection with the confrontation. Each was charged with one count of assault and battery.

All three defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Previous conviction and immigration proceedings

Court records show that Abdoush was convicted of second-degree murder in 1999 in connection with the 1998 death of a woman who was struck by a van. He was sentenced to between 15 and 25 years in prison.

Jenni Riehle, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Corrections, said Abdoush was incarcerated from May 1999 until June 2014, when he was released on parole. His parole supervision ended in June 2016.

According to ICE, Abdoush legally entered the United States in 1992 and later became a lawful permanent resident. His criminal conviction subsequently affected his immigration status, and an immigration judge ordered his removal in June 2022.

Abdoush appealed the order, and his case remains pending before the Board of Immigration Appeals.

A Department of Homeland Security team took Abdoush into custody following his release from Dearborn police and transferred him to ICE, according to federal officials.

“He remains in ICE custody at North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan,” ICE said. “He will receive full due process.”

Before his transfer to federal custody, Abdoush was scheduled to appear before 19th District Court Judge Gene Hunt on September 21 for proceedings related to the assault and property damage charges.

Both offenses are misdemeanors punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.

Dearborn Police Cpl. Dan Bartok said Abdoush was released on a personal bond after his arraignment, with a GPS tether imposed as a condition of his release. Federal authorities arrested him shortly afterward.

The Dearborn Police Department has denied coordinating directly with federal immigration authorities to locate or apprehend undocumented immigrants.

Nevertheless, Abdoush’s detention has renewed concerns among immigrant-rights advocates about cooperation between local police departments and federal immigration authorities.

The issue has generated controversy throughout Metro Detroit. Center Line withdrew from ICE’s 287(g) program in November 2025 following public opposition. The program authorizes participating local officers to perform certain immigration-enforcement functions.

Taylor, meanwhile, continues to maintain a 287(g) agreement with ICE and is the only community in Metro Detroit with such an arrangement.

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to assist Abdoush’s family and help cover the cost of separate attorneys for his criminal and immigration cases.

The fundraising appeal said the family is facing “an extremely difficult and complicated situation” because Abdoush is dealing simultaneously with criminal and immigration proceedings, each requiring separate legal representation.

The appeal described Abdoush as a mechanic and his family’s principal provider, adding that relatives are struggling with his absence while attempting to navigate the two legal cases.

Dearborn police warn residents ahead of Lang’s planned return

Lang, who says he is leading a “crusade” against the “Islamization of America”, is reportedly planning to return to Dearborn on Tuesday, August 18, to demonstrate during the City Council meeting.

The planned visit would be at least his fourth appearance in the city. Lang has previously accused Dearborn officials and police of failing to protect him during a confrontation with counter-protesters on November 18, 2025.

During another visit, Lang burned copies of the Quran outside the Islamic Center of America before a Dearborn police officer extinguished the flames.

Lang, a pardoned participant in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, unsuccessfully sought a U.S. Senate seat in Florida. He failed to qualify for the state’s 2026 Republican primary.

Ahead of his expected return, Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin urged the public “not to confront or engage with individuals and groups from outside our community who may come to Dearborn during the City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, August 18, 2026.”

In a video message posted on social media, Shahin said the Police Department had developed a comprehensive security plan and would deploy an enhanced police presence at the meeting.

He said the department was coordinating with local, state and federal law-enforcement agencies to protect the public.

Shahin urged residents not to attend the meeting if their sole purpose was to confront or respond to the outside groups. Residents with legitimate business before the Council may still attend, he said, and police will work to ensure their safety.

“These groups that are coming here are coming for one reason, and that is to provoke a reaction and generate attention,” Shahin said. “If nobody shows up to react, they have nothing.”

Referring to Lang and his supporters, Shahin said previous incidents demonstrated that such groups intentionally seek publicity by provoking confrontations and recording residents’ reactions for social media.

“The most powerful thing that this community can do is refuse to give them an audience,” Shahin added.

Shahin urged anyone who must attend the meeting not to confront or argue with protesters, depriving them of the reaction or video footage they hope to obtain.

“Let our officers do their job, and do not let a group of outside haters define who we are,” Shahin concluded.

Dearborn City Council President Mike Sareini issued a similar appeal to residents through The Arab American News.

“Do not engage with outside groups that come into our community solely to provoke a reaction,” Sareini said. “They are looking for confrontation, social media footage and an opportunity to portray our city negatively. Do not give them what they came for.”