Badar Khan Suri detained by US immigration officers; lawyer files appeal
An Indian researcher at a US university has been arrested by immigration officers and now faces deportation, according to his lawyer, reported gujaratsamachar.com.
Visa Revoked, Arrest Raises Concerns
Badar Khan Suri was detained on Monday outside his home in Virginia by masked officers, who informed him that his student visa had been revoked, as reported by Politico.
Suri, a Jamia Millia Islamia PhD graduate, was a post-doctoral fellow at Georgetown University, where he taught a course on “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia.”
He is married to Maphaz Ahmad Yousef, a US citizen and the daughter of Ahmed Yousef, described in media reports as a senior political advisor to Hamas leadership.
His lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, has filed a habeas corpus appeal in a Virginia federal court, challenging his arrest and potential deportation.
Crackdown on Pro-Palestinian Sentiments on Campuses
Suri is the second Indian scholar to face deportation over alleged involvement in pro-Palestinian activism on US campuses. Earlier this month, Ranjani Srinivasan, a Columbia University PhD student, fled to Canada after being informed that her visa was canceled due to alleged support for Hamas.
The Department of Homeland Security has accused several individuals of supporting terrorist activities, but no direct allegations have been made against Suri regarding protest participation or criminal activity.
However, his lawyer contends that Suri’s arrest was politically motivated, linking it to his wife’s Palestinian heritage and suspected opposition to US support for Israel.
Government Stance on Immigration and National Security
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, defending the administration’s actions, wrote on X:
“Coming to the United States on a visa is a privilege, not a right. The Trump Administration is determined to deny or revoke your visa if you’re here to support terrorists.”
Meanwhile, other academics have also been caught in similar actions, including Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate who was arrested and is currently in a Louisiana detention center pending deportation despite holding a green card.
The legal battle over these deportations is ongoing, as civil rights groups express concerns over free speech, academic freedom, and due process.
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