A judge in the United States has ordered against the deportation of Indian researcher Badar Khan Suri, who has been arrested in the country over his alleged link to Palestinian terror group Hamas, media reports said.
Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ordered that Khan Suri, who was arrested on Wednesday, will not be deported until and unless the court passes a contrary order.
Khan Suri, a researcher at Georgetown University, has been accused of spreading Hamas propaganda and antisemitism on social media.
He is also accused of having a close tie with a “known” or “suspected terrorist”.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary Department of Homeland Security, had posted on X, “Suri was a foreign exchange student at Georgetown University actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.
“Suri has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas. The Secretary of State issued a determination on March 15, 2025 that Suri’s activities and presence in the United States rendered him deportable under INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i).”
Teaching on a student visa
Khan Suri, who is studying and teaching on a student visa, is pursuing “doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan”.
A spokesperson of Georgetown University said in a statement, “We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention.
“We support our community members’ rights to free and open inquiry, deliberation and debate, even if the underlying ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable. We expect the legal system to adjudicate this case fairly.”
Khan Suri’s lawyer Hassan Ahmad earlier said his client, who is married to an American citizen, is now awaiting a date in the immigration court.
Ahmad earlier claimed Suri was being held at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Palestinian origin of Khan Suri’s wife
His lawyer claimed Khan Suri was victimised because of his wife’s Palestinian origin.
Ahmad criticized the government’s actions.
“Seeing our government abduct and jail another innocent person is beyond contemptible,” Ahmad said, as quoted by NBC News. “And 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.”
Suri’s detention comes amid efforts by the US President Donald Trump-led administration to deport Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, who participated in protests against Israel and the Gaza conflict.
Both cases involve the use of immigration law to address perceived “foreign policy consequences”.
