Key facts
- Georgetown University scholar Badar Khan Suri described the Trump administration's deportation arguments as "specious" and "shallow."
- Suri, an Indian citizen and legal US resident married to a US citizen, is facing deportation for his support of Palestinian rights.
- Nader Hashemi, director of Georgetown's Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, called the case indicative of the Trump administration's "deep anti-Palestinian nature."
- The Middle East Forum (MEF) claimed responsibility for Suri's arrest.
- Suri was arrested on March 17, 2025, with agents citing "spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media" as reasons for visa revocation.
- Suri was detained for two months in Texas before being released on May 14, 2025, by a federal judge.
- The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the government's attempt to detain Suri again in July.
- Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian activist, reported her fifth seizure since her release from ICE detention.
Georgetown University scholar Badar Khan Suri on Tuesday criticized the Trump administration's arguments in his immigration court case as "specious" and "shallow." Suri, a legal US resident of Indian citizenship married to a US citizen, has been a target of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents for 18 months due to his public support for Palestinian rights.
Suri told the media outside the courthouse in Annandale, Virginia, that the government's claims of him being antisemitic are part of a "political agenda." He noted that his Jewish supporters were present to back him, emphasizing that their faith should not be "weaponised" by the government.
Nader Hashemi, director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown, where Suri conducted post-doctoral research, stated that the case exemplifies the "deep anti-Palestinian nature" of the US government under President Donald Trump. Hashemi suggested that the administration's real target might be Suri's wife, a US citizen from Gaza, and that Suri is being targeted to harass her.
The Middle East Forum (MEF), a pro-Israel organization, claimed credit for Suri's arrest, which occurred on March 17, 2025. Federal agents stated his visa was revoked by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for "spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media."
Suri spent two months in an ICE detention center in Texas, describing the conditions as overcrowded and unsanitary, before a federal judge ordered his release on May 14, 2025. His case challenges the government's attempt to deport him based on his political views. The American Civil Liberties Union, representing Suri, stated that the administration's argument that his presence "compromises a compelling foreign policy interest" is false.
In July, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that ordered Suri's release on bail, rejecting the government's attempt to detain him again. Suri's legal battle continues on two tracks: a federal habeas case and an immigration case in a Department of Justice-run court.
Separately, Palestinian activist Leqaa Kordia reported her fifth seizure since her release from ICE detention, stating the seizures began after her detention and have impacted her health.