US Court Blocks Deportation Of Indian Academic Badar Khan Suri Over Alleged ‘Hamas Ties’

A U.S. federal judge has ordered immigration officials not to deport the Indian student who was detained during the Trump administration over allegations of promoting Hamas-related content. Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles of the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, ruled that Badar Khan Suri cannot be removed from the country unless the court issues a new order allowing it. 

Suri's attorney wrote in an earlier court filing that Suri was targeted because of his social media posts and his wife's “identity as a Palestinian and her constitutionally protected speech.” Suri is a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University. 

Suri’s lawyer stated in a previous court filing that he was targeted because of his social media activity and his wife's background as a Palestinian. Suri is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University. 

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

Lawyer Claims Scholar’s Detention Violates Free Speech, Calls Deportation Politically Motivated: 

Dr Suri is a scholar, not an activist, his lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, stated in a court filing on Thursday. He explained that Suri had shared his opinions on the Israel-Gaza conflict on social media, while his wife has been vocal in criticising the Israeli government and the violence against Palestinians. 

Suri’s lawyer argued that authorities have not provided any evidence of wrongdoing and that his detention violates his rights to free speech and fair legal process. Suri, who has no criminal record, holds a valid visa allowing him to stay in the US as a visiting scholar, while his wife is a US citizen, according to the court filing. 

The lawyer further claimed that the Trump administration had openly sought to use immigration laws as a tool to target noncitizens who express views critical of US policy on Israel. 

Badar Khan Suri’s Detention: 

Suri was accused of "spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media" and was deemed eligible for deportation by the Secretary of State’s office, according to Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who made the statement on Wednesday on the social media platform X. Suri's case was first reported by Politico.  

On Monday, federal officers, reportedly masked, detained Badar Khan Suri outside his home in a Virginia suburb near Washington, informing him that his student visa had been revoked, according to his lawyer quoted by Politico. 

Politico also reported that Suri, who was in the US on a student visa for academic study and teaching, has been detained by federal immigration officials. His arrest is believed to be part of a broader crackdown under the Trump administration on student activists accused of criticising US foreign policy. 

ALSO READ: Indian Student Ranjani Srinivasan Self-Deports After US Visa Revoked Over Pro-Palestine Protests