The Trump administration has detained Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, and is seeking to deport him after accusing him of ties to the Palestinian group Hamas.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims that Suri spread Hamas propaganda and antisemitism on social media, but did not provide specific evidence to support these allegations.
Suri, who is living in the US on a student visa, was arrested outside his home in Rosslyn, Virginia, on Monday night and is currently being held in Alexandria, Louisiana, awaiting a court date in immigration court.
Suri’s lawyer has stated that he is being targeted for his political activism.
“If an accomplished scholar who focuses on conflict resolution is whom the government decides is bad for foreign policy, then perhaps the problem is with the government, not the scholar,” the lawyer said in an email.
The case has raised concerns, as it comes amid the Trump administration's broader efforts to deport individuals involved in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's actions in Gaza.
According to DHS, Suri’s alleged activities violated US immigration laws, with Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at DHS, stating that Suri had “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas.” McLaughlin, however, did not provide any supporting evidence for the accusations.
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, reportedly issued a determination on March 15, 2025, declaring that Suri’s activities made him deportable under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Suri, who holds a PhD in peace and conflict studies from a university in India, is a fellow at Georgetown's Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. He has been teaching a course on “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia” this semester.
The DHS claims that Suri’s activities rendered him deportable, as he allegedly spread extremist views online.
However, there has been no clear evidence provided to the public. Georgetown University, where Suri has been employed, has expressed surprise at his detention and stated that they were not aware of any illegal activities on his part.
Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, is a US citizen and a former Al Jazeera journalist from Gaza. Her background has raised additional political interest, as she has written for Palestinian media outlets and worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza.
This development follows the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, another individual seeking deportation for his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests.
Khalil’s legal team has argued that he has no links to Hamas, a group the US considers a "foreign terrorist organisation."
Critics argue that the Trump administration is unfairly targeting political activists who criticise Israel, conflating pro-Palestinian activism with antisemitism. Jewish groups supporting Palestinian rights have also voiced concerns about the mischaracterisation of their criticism of Israel as antisemitic.
As the case unfolds, it highlights growing tensions between freedom of speech, political activism, and national security concerns in the US.
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