In a recent development, a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia, ordered immigration officials not to deport Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national and Georgetown scholar detained by the Trump Administration. Suri was accused of spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media. His attorney argued that Suri was targeted due to his social media posts and his wife’s criticism of the Israeli government.
Suri, who holds a visa as a visiting scholar and has no criminal record, was arrested outside his Virginia home and taken to a detention facility in Louisiana. His detention has been seen as retaliation for his protected speech, according to his attorney.
Georgetown University, where Suri is a post-doctoral fellow, stated that he was granted a visa to continue his doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan. The university supports free speech and open inquiry, even on controversial topics.
Suri’s case is part of a larger trend of targeting individuals critical of U.S. policy towards Israel. Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, representing the district where Suri was detained, called the scholar’s detention illegal and an attack on the First Amendment.
Suri’s lawyers are seeking his immediate release and halting deportation proceedings, while activists in academia are raising concerns about increased targeting of individuals for their political views.
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