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The Trump administration has detained an Indian national studying at Georgetown University, citing concerns over his impact on U.S. foreign policy. The student’s attorney reported on Wednesday that the government is seeking to deport Badar Khan Suri.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has accused Suri of having connections to Hamas, the Palestinian militant organization, claiming he disseminated propaganda and expressed antisemitic views on social media. This assertion was reported in a statement shared with Fox News, although no specific evidence was provided to substantiate these claims. DHS Secretary Marco Rubio reportedly concluded that Suri’s actions warranted his deportation.
Suri, who is on a student visa and married to an American citizen, is currently detained in Alexandria, Louisiana. He was apprehended outside his residence in Rosslyn, Virginia on Monday night and is awaiting an immigration court hearing, according to his legal counsel.
This case arises amidst a broader context, as the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to deport individuals involved in pro-Palestinian demonstrations related to the ongoing Gaza conflict. The violence escalated following a Hamas attack in October 2023, which resulted in significant casualties in Israel, and a subsequent Israeli military response that has reportedly led to a high number of Palestinian deaths.
The actions taken by the Trump administration have ignited backlash among civil rights organizations and advocates for immigrants, who argue that these measures unfairly target individuals based on their political beliefs.
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Another recent case involves Ranjani Srinivasan, an international student from India studying at Columbia University, who recently fled to Canada to escape immigration enforcement after her visa was unexpectedly revoked.
Suri is a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, which operates under the university’s School of Foreign Service. His detention was first reported by Politico.
His lawyer stated, “If an accomplished scholar focusing on conflict resolution is deemed harmful to U.S. foreign policy, perhaps the issue lies with the government rather than the scholar.” A Georgetown University spokesperson noted that the institution had not been informed of the reasons behind Suri’s detention and was unaware of him engaging in illegal activities.
Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, also a U.S. citizen, hails from Gaza and has contributed to media platforms like Al Jazeera. While she has not faced any legal action, Suri has been actively teaching a course on “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia” and holds a Ph.D. in peace and conflict studies from an Indian university.
Earlier this month, Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil was also arrested by immigration agents due to his participation in pro-Palestinian protests, and he is currently contesting his detention in court.
Trump has alleged that Khalil supports Hamas, a claim his legal team has denied, asserting that he has no affiliations with the designated terrorist organization. The president has characterized pro-Palestinian protests as rooted in antisemitism, while supporters of Palestinian rights argue that criticism of Israeli actions is being inappropriately conflated with antisemitism.
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Mahmoud Khalil’s detention represents one of the early instances of the Trump administration’s aggressive stance against student activists engaged in political dissent.
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