Georgetown University graduate student, Badar Khan Suri, from India was detained by federal immigration authorities while teaching on a student visa. His attorney called the detention “beyond contemptible” as Suri had done nothing wrong and the university was not aware of any misconduct. Suri was arrested outside his Arlington, Virginia home and is being held at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana awaiting an immigration hearing. The reason for his detention has not been disclosed.
Suri is a postdoctoral fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University and has a Ph.D. in peace and conflict studies. His research focuses on conflict resolution in various regions.
The Trump administration’s efforts to deport graduate students involved in protests, such as Mahmoud Khalil, using immigration law concerning “foreign policy consequences” has raised concerns. Suri’s attorney has filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus seeking to determine the legality of his detention. Georgetown University has expressed support for Suri’s rights to free inquiry and expects a fair adjudication of his case. Rubio defended deportation attempts by stating that “no one has a right to a student visa.” Khalil’s deportation has been temporarily blocked, while another student, Leqaa Kordia, was recently arrested by ICE for overstaying her student visa after protests at Columbia University.
Suri’s detainment raises questions about government actions towards scholars and the use of immigration law for political purposes.
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