US Court Halts Deportation of Georgetown Researcher Amid Controversy

• Mar 21, 2025

Indian Scholar Accused of Ties to Hamas, Detention Sparks Legal and Academic Outcry

A federal judge has blocked the deportation of Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University researcher, after his arrest earlier this week by US immigration authorities. The ruling temporarily halts the Trump administration’s effort to expel him amid allegations that he spread Hamas propaganda and had links to terrorism—claims strongly denied by his legal team and employer.

Suri, an Indian national, is a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown, studying peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan on a valid student visa. He was detained outside his northern Virginia home Monday night by masked agents with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who informed him his visa had been revoked and he was now subject to deportation.

In a Thursday court order, Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ruled that Suri must not be removed from the US until further notice.

Allegations and Denials

DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed Suri had "close connections to a known or suspected terrorist" and was "actively spreading Hamas propaganda and antisemitism" on social media. She pointed to his father-in-law, who once served as an adviser to the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

However, Suri's lawyer argued that his arrest was politically motivated, linked not to any wrongdoing on his part but rather to his wife’s Palestinian heritage and protected speech.

Mapheze Saleh, Suri’s wife and a US citizen, said in a sworn statement that her father left the Gaza government in 2010 and now leads a peace-focused think tank. She described her husband’s detention as devastating, saying their three children were desperate for his return.

“Our children are in desperate need of their father and miss him dearly,” she told the court.

Academic Community and Georgetown Respond

Georgetown University said Suri was lawfully in the US and that it had no knowledge of any illegal activity. In a statement, the school affirmed its commitment to academic freedom and called for fair legal proceedings.

“We support our community members’ rights to free and open inquiry, even if the ideas are difficult or controversial,” a university spokesperson said.

Court documents allege Suri and his wife have been targeted by an anonymous online blacklisting campaign.

Wider Pattern of Detentions

Suri’s arrest is part of a broader trend of immigration crackdowns on foreign students and academics allegedly linked to pro-Palestinian activism.

In recent weeks:

• Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian and Columbia graduate, was detained for alleged ties to Hamas—claims he denies.
• Columbia student Leqaa Kordia was arrested for visa overstay after participating in pro-Palestinian protests.
• Another student, Ranjani Srinivasan, chose to leave the country after her visa was revoked.
• Lebanese professor Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist, was deported after officials at Boston airport found religious content related to Hezbollah on her phone.

Looking Ahead

For now, Suri remains in custody at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana. The court’s injunction offers a reprieve, but his legal battle is far from over.

The BBC has reached out to DHS and the Indian embassy for further comment, as questions continue to swirl around the legality and motivations behind the detentions.