THERE ARE few individuals in North Jersey who have fostered a greater understanding of Arab-Americans. Imam Mohammad Qatanani is one of those individuals.

On Thursday, an immigration judge ruled that the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center of Passaic County can make the United States his permanent home. It is a victory for more than the imam.

U.S. officials had sought to deport Qatanani, claiming he concealed an arrest and conviction in the West Bank before entering the United States. Qatanai denied the charges.

The Paterson-based imam's case drew national attention because Qatanani is viewed as a moderate voice of Islam in North Jersey, particularly after Sept. 11, 2001. Prominent public officials, including U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie and Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., have voiced support for Qatanani, as well as spiritual leaders of other faiths.

The man they knew - the man who spoke of moderation in the days after 9/11 and who encouraged more interaction between his congregation and U.S. officials - could not be a terrorist sympathizer.

In his ruling, immigration Judge Alberto J. Riefkohl said the government's case was incomplete and that the testimony of key witnesses, two federal agents, was not credible.

Riefkohl wrote, "Their testimony is tainted by the lack of an accurate record and their inconsistent and contradictory testimony."

Federal officials claimed that Qatanani, who emigrated from Jordan in 1996 on a religious visa, did not disclose his prior arrest and conviction by Israeli security officials in 1993 while traveling in the West Bank. Israelis contended that the imam had ties to Hamas.

Qatanani said that he did not know he was ever convicted while detained in Israel. The arrest only came to light when he applied for permanent U.S. residency.

The imam and his wife have six children; three of the children were born in the United States. If he had been deported, the entire family would have left the country. But Thursday's ruling brings more than peace of mind to Qatanani, his family and congregation. It also serves as a reminder of how important judicial review is in the immigration process.

Qatanani's case was closely monitored by public officials, the media and the public at large. Few immigration cases receive such attention. And as public attention shifts from the Republican and Democratic conventions toward the general election in November, it is equally important that immigration reform move to the forefront of public discourse.

Congress has failed to reform the nation's immigration policies. The next Congress must do more than resolve what to do with an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. It must implement changes throughout the entire federal immigration system, including shortening the wait time for processing requests for permanent legal residency and ensuring all immigrants have fair judicial review.

In a written statement following Thursday's ruling, Pascrell said: Today's verdict is more than just a victory for one man or one community; it is a victory for Passaic County and all of America."

We agree.