Indian researcher at Georgetown University arrested, faces deportation over alleged ‘Hamas propaganda’

Indian scholar detained by US immigration officers

An Indian post-doctoral researcher at Georgetown University, Badar Khan Suri, has been arrested by US immigration authorities and is facing deportation, according to his lawyer. Suri was taken into custody by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents outside his residence in Virginia on Monday night.

The lawsuit states that masked agents informed Suri that the US government had revoked his visa. Reports suggest that his arrest is linked to allegations of spreading Hamas propaganda and associating with a suspected terrorist.

US Government’s Allegations Against Suri

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at DHS, claimed that Suri was a foreign exchange student promoting Hamas propaganda and antisemitism on social media.

“Suri has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas,” McLaughlin stated on X (formerly Twitter). She added that the US Secretary of State determined on March 15, 2025, that Suri’s activities made him deportable under INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i), a provision related to national security threats.

Legal challenge and defense

Suri’s lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, argues that the arrest is politically motivated. He claims that Suri is being unfairly targeted due to the Palestinian heritage of his wife, Mapheze Saleh, a first-year student at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies.

Saleh, originally from Gaza, holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Islamic University of Gaza and a master’s degree in conflict analysis and peacebuilding from Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi, India.

Georgetown University issued a statement supporting Suri, saying:

“Dr. Khan Suri is an Indian national who was granted a visa to conduct doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are not aware of any illegal activity on his part. We support free inquiry, deliberation, and debate, even on difficult or controversial issues. We expect the legal system to handle his case fairly.”

Who is Badar Khan Suri?

Dr. Badar Khan Suri is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C.

This semester, he has been teaching a course titled “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia.”

Suri completed his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies in 2020 from Jamia Millia Islamia’s Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution in New Delhi, India. His research focuses on religion, violence, peace, ethnic conflicts, and peace processes in the Middle East and South Asia, according to Georgetown University’s website.

Indian students in the US facing visa revocations and deportations

Suri is not the only Indian student facing deportation from the United States. Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old doctoral student in urban planning at Columbia University, recently self-deported after her visa was revoked by the US Department of State.

Srinivasan was accused of participating in pro-Palestine protests and allegedly supporting Hamas. The US government revoked her visa on March 5, 2025, citing security concerns.

A statement from DHS claimed:

“Srinivasan was involved in activities supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization. On March 5, 2025, the Department of State revoked her visa. Homeland Security has obtained video footage showing her using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency app to self-deport on March 11.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Srinivasan a “terrorist sympathizer”, stating that individuals who “advocate terrorism and violence” should not be allowed to remain in the US.

The developments surrounding Suri and Srinivasan highlight increased scrutiny of international students involved in political activism and the US government’s strict stance on individuals accused of supporting designated terrorist organizations.

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