An Indian postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University in Washington DC has been detained by US authorities and faces deportation over allegations of spreading Hamas propaganda and antisemitism. Badar Khan Suri, arrested on Monday night outside his home in Virginia, is the latest in a series of incidents involving Indian students in the United States.
The Trump administration invoked a rarely-used section of immigration law to detain Suri, citing him as a threat to US foreign policy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Suri’s activities “rendered him deportable”, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Accusations and Arrest
Federal agents arrested Suri after informing him that his visa was being revoked. The DHS accused Suri of having ties to the Palestinian militant group Hamas and spreading Hamas propaganda and antisemitism on social media. However, the statement shared with Fox News did not provide specific evidence to support these claims.
Suri, who is married to an American citizen, is currently detained in Alexandria, Louisiana, awaiting a court date in immigration court. His lawyer argues that Suri has no criminal record and is being targeted because of his wife’s Palestinian origins.
The arrest comes just over a week after another Indian student, Ranjani Srinivasan, self-deported using the CBP Home App after escaping detention on similar accusations of antisemitism.
Broader Implications and Concerns
This incident is part of a larger trend of the Trump administration targeting pro-Palestinian protesters for deportation, particularly following Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023. Civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups have criticised these actions, arguing that the administration is unfairly targeting dissenting voices.
The use of this rarely-invoked immigration law provision has raised concerns about academic freedom and the rights of international students in the United States. The same provision was previously used to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and green card holder, who had allegedly led pro-Palestinian demonstrations last year.
Georgetown University, where Suri was teaching “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia”, appears to have been unaware of his alleged illegal activities. Suri’s academic background includes a PhD in peace and conflict studies from India.
The case has sparked debate about the balance between national security concerns and academic freedom. Suri’s lawyer argued, “If an accomplished scholar who focusses on conflict resolution is whom the government decides is bad for foreign policy, then perhaps the problem is with the government, not the scholar”.
As the situation unfolds, it highlights the complex interplay between international politics, immigration policies, and academic pursuits in the United States. The outcome of Suri’s case could have significant implications for other international students and researchers, particularly those engaged in politically sensitive areas of study.
The incident also underscores the importance of understanding and adhering to visa regulations and social media guidelines for international students in the US. As tensions continue to simmer in various global hotspots, students and academics from abroad may find themselves under increased scrutiny, necessitating a careful balance between academic expression and compliance with host country regulations.
