Indian Academic Detained in US, Faces Deportation for Alleged Ties with Hamas

An Indian national enrolled as a postdoctoral fellow in the US has been detained by immigration authorities. Badar Khan Suri was taken on Monday outside his home in a Washington suburb in Virginia state by “masked” officers who told him that his student visa had been revoked, according to his lawyer quoted by Politico. 

Badar Khan Suri’s lawyer has stated that he is facing punishment due to his wife’s Palestinian heritage and the government’s suspicion that they oppose US foreign policy towards Israel. His wife is a US citizen. 

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Suri, a former student of Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Washington DC. 

According to a report by Politico, Suri, who was in the US on a student visa for studying and teaching, has been detained by federal immigration authorities. His detention is linked to the Trump administration’s crackdown on student activists accused of opposing American foreign policy. 

Detention, Visa Revocation And Political Targeting: 

A petition filed by Suri’s lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, states that he was taken to a facility in Virginia and is expected to be transferred soon to a detention centre in Texas. 

According to a Politico report, Suri’s lawyer has also filed a lawsuit seeking his immediate release. The lawsuit mentions that agents from the Department of Homeland Security informed Suri that his visa had been revoked. 

The report further states that Suri has been placed in deportation proceedings under a rarely used provision of immigration law. The same provision has been invoked against Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal permanent resident, who was arrested for his role in leading campus protests against Israel at Columbia University. 

The petition also claims that Suri and his wife, Mapheze Saleh, have long been targeted on far-right websites due to their support for Palestinian rights. It further mentions that Saleh has been accused of having links to Hamas and previously worked for Al Jazeera. 

The petition also states that Suri has no criminal record and has not been charged with any offence. His lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, mentioned that as of Wednesday evening, he had been unable to contact Suri. 

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