Badar Khan Suri
Badar Khan Suri is an Indian academic and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University specializing in peace and conflict studies. He gained public attention in March 2025 after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on allegations of spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.[1][2] A federal judge subsequently blocked his deportation pending further court proceedings.[3][4]
Early life and academic career
Suri was born and raised in Delhi, India. He completed his Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies in 2020 at the Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.[5] His doctoral thesis, titled Transitional Democracy, Divided Societies and Prospects for Peace: A Study of State Building in Afghanistan and Iraq, examined the challenges of introducing democracy in ethnically diverse societies and the complexities of state-building efforts.[6]
In 2022, Suri joined Georgetown University as a postdoctoral fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding within the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. His research focuses on religion, violence, peace, and ethnic conflicts, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia.[6] At Georgetown, he taught a course on "Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia."
Detention and legal proceedings
On March 17, 2025, masked agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested Suri at his residence in Arlington, Virginia, informing him that his student visa had been revoked. Despite being detained, Suri was not charged with any crime and has no criminal record. DHS alleged that Suri was "actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media" and cited his "close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas."[1]
Suri's legal team contested his detention, arguing that it violated his due process rights and was motivated by his and his wife’s advocacy for Palestinian rights. His wife, Mapheze Saleh, is a U.S. citizen of Palestinian heritage and a graduate student at Georgetown University. A 2018 article in the Hindustan Times reported that her father served as a "senior political adviser to the Hamas leadership."[1]
Initially held in Texas, Suri faced an immigration court hearing scheduled for May 6, while he petitioned a district court in Virginia for a hearing on May 1, seeking a transfer back to that state.[7][8]
University and public response
Georgetown University expressed support for Suri, stating it was unaware of any illegal activities attributed to him and emphasized its commitment to free and open inquiry. Dean Joel Hellman of the School of Foreign Service voiced concern over the chilling effect such events could have on freedom of expression within the academic community.[9]
The Georgetown chapter of Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine organized a rally calling for Suri's release. In an open letter published in The Hoya, over 130 Jewish students, faculty, staff, and alumni condemned his arrest and detention, accusing the Trump administration of "weaponizing Jewish identity, faith, and fears of antisemitism as a smokescreen for an authoritarian agenda."[10][11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Trump is seeking to deport another academic who is legally in the country, lawsuit says", Politico, March 19, 2025
- ↑ Philissa Cramer, "DHS arrests Georgetown researcher who is married to the daughter of a Hamas official", Jewish Telegraphic Agency, March 20, 2025
- ↑ "Trump administration cannot deport pro-Palestinian Georgetown University student: judge", USA Today, March 20, 2025. Accessed March 20, 2025.
- ↑ "Trump administration attempting to deport pro-Palestinian student at Georgetown University", The Guardian, March 20, 2025. Accessed March 20, 2025.
- ↑ "Who is Badar Khan Suri, Indian scholar in US detained over 'Hamas ties'?", The Indian Express, March 20, 2025.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Badar Khan Suri – ACMCU", Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University. Accessed March 25, 2025.
- ↑ "Jewish students at Georgetown protest detention of professor Badar Khan Suri", NPR, April 11, 2025.
- ↑ "Tracking Badar Khan Suri's Legal Battle", The Hoya. Accessed April 12, 2025.
- ↑ "Dean's Statement on Detention of Dr. Badar Suri", Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, March 20, 2025.
- ↑ "GU Faculty Lead Walkout Supporting Khan Suri", The Hoya. Accessed April 12, 2025.
- ↑ "VIEWPOINT: Reject Weaponization of Jewish Identity, Stand with Khan Suri", The Hoya, April 11, 2025.