A significant legal development has unfolded in the case of Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles issued an order blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Suri, an Indian national, pending further court proceedings.
Suri was detained by immigration authorities outside his home in Rosslyn, Virginia, on Monday evening. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had revoked his student visa, citing alleged ties to the Palestinian militant group Hamas and accusations of spreading Hamas propaganda and antisemitism on social media. However, no evidence has been presented to support these claims.
Suri’s lawyer welcomed the judge’s ruling, calling it the first instance of due process since his client’s arrest. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also defended Suri, stating that his detention was an attempt to silence political dissent. Suri is married to a U.S. citizen and has been held in an immigration detention center in Louisiana.
This case highlights growing concerns about the targeting of scholars and activists with pro-Palestinian views under the Trump administration. The ACLU and other civil rights groups argue that such actions unfairly target political critics and undermine freedom of speech.
Related topics:
