Priyanka Tiwari
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Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, has been arrested outside his home in Virginia by masked federal agents. The US Department of Homeland Security has accused him of spreading Hamas propaganda and having close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, making him a focal point in the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism.
Allegations Against Suri
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, accused Suri of promoting antisemitic rhetoric and having links to a senior Hamas advisor. On March 15, 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Suri’s activities made him “deportable” under INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i).
Who is Badar Khan Suri?
Dr. Suri is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. His academic focus includes religion, violence, and ethnic conflicts in South Asia and the Middle East.
Suri completed his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, in 2020. His research on state-building in Afghanistan and Iraq has led him to conduct fieldwork in conflict zones, including Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Palestine. Before his arrest, he was teaching a course titled "Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia."
Family and Alleged Connections
Suri is married to Mapheze Saleh, an American citizen of Palestinian heritage. The two met in 2011 during an international humanitarian convoy to Gaza, where Saleh worked as a translator. The couple married in Delhi in 2014 after failing to wed in Gaza due to regional instability.
Saleh, a former Al-Jazeera journalist, has also faced allegations of links to Hamas. Her father, Ahamed Yousuf, previously served as a deputy foreign minister in the Hamas government before leaving office after the administration’s five-year term ended.
Legal and Academic Backlash
Suri’s lawyer, Hasan Ahmad, has denounced his detention as politically motivated. “The government is punishing him because his wife is of Palestinian heritage and because they suspect that the couple opposes US foreign policy on Israel,” he told Politico.
In response to the arrest, Georgetown University defended Suri, stating:
"Dr. Khan Suri is an Indian national who was duly granted a visa to enter the United States to continue his doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention."
The university reaffirmed its commitment to academic freedom, emphasizing that scholars must have the right to open inquiry, debate, and research.
What Happens Next?
Suri is currently detained at a facility near Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana and is expected to be transferred to a detention center in Texas. His lawyer has not been able to contact him since his arrest.
A lawsuit challenging his detention has been filed in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, but as of Wednesday, no judge had been assigned to the case. Legal experts believe Suri’s case could set a precedent for future deportation proceedings involving international scholars engaged in political discourse.
For now, Badar Khan Suri remains in legal limbo, awaiting a court hearing that will determine whether he will be deported or allowed to remain in the United States.
Read More: Cornell Student Momodou Taal Faces Deportation After Pro-Palestinian Protests
