New Delhi: The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has taken into custody Badar Khan Suri, an Indian student enrolled at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., due to purported connections with the Palestinian militant organization Hamas and for allegedly disseminating its propaganda on social media, as reported by Fox News on Thursday, referencing a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
Badar Khan Suri serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding within the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
According to Suri’s attorney, the Trump administration is pursuing his deportation, labeling him a threat to U.S. foreign policy.
Suri’s lawyer further indicated that he has been detained in Alexandria, Louisiana, and is currently awaiting a court appearance in immigration court. The attorney also mentioned that federal agents apprehended Suri outside his residence in Rosslyn, Virginia, on Monday evening.
The statement, which was shared by Stephen Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, did not provide any evidence to support the claims against the Indian student. It noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded that Suri’s actions made him subject to deportation. Additionally, the Georgetown University student faces accusations of promoting “antisemitism” on social media.
A spokesperson for the university stated that they have not been informed of the reasons behind Suri’s detention and are unaware of any involvement in illegal activities.
Who is Badar Khan Suri?
Badar Khan Suri, currently residing in the United States on a student visa, is married to Mapheze Saleh, an American citizen. He serves as a postdoctoral fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, which is affiliated with the School of Foreign Service.
As noted on the Georgetown University website, Mapheze Saleh hails from Gaza and has contributed to Al Jazeera, a Qatari government-funded broadcaster, as well as various Palestinian media outlets. Additionally, she has been involved with the ministry of foreign affairs in the conflict-affected region.
Suri holds a PhD in peace and conflict studies from an Indian institution and is teaching a course this semester titled “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia.”
Trump’s crackdown on ‘antisemitism’
The Trump administration has accused pro-Palestinian demonstrators of exhibiting “antisemitic” behavior, asserting that they deny any criticism of Israel’s military actions against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
The White House is currently evaluating funding for universities, citing their purported inability to safeguard Jewish students from harassment by anti-war demonstrators.
Universities under scrutiny include Columbia University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, and Portland State University.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration detained a Columbia University student, Mahmoud Khalil, and attempted to deport him due to his participation in pro-Palestinian protests. Khalil is now contesting his detention in court.
Trump has claimed, without evidence, that Khalil has ties to Hamas. However, Khalil’s legal representatives assert that he has no affiliation with the group, which the U.S. designates as a “foreign terrorist organization.”
