Who is Badar Khan Suri? Indian-origin academic detained in US
What's the story
Badar Khan Suri, an Indian-origin scholar at Georgetown University, has been detained by the Trump administration.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is seeking his deportation over alleged anti-Semitism and pro-Hamas propaganda on social media.
DHS claims Suri's actions "rendered him deportable," but didn't provide any evidence to back these allegations.
Posts
Unverified X account with Suri's name contains criticisms against Israel
Although, an unverified X account with Suri's name and Georgetown affiliation has several criticisms of Israel and statements of support for the Palestinian cause.
In a June post, the account accused India of being "an enabler of genocide" after the Palestinian-run Quds News Network broadcast a film purporting to show the remnants of an Israeli missile labeled "Made in India."
In another post, the account said many Indians supported Israel for "hate of Muslims," not "for the love of Israel."
Academic career
Suri's academic background and current situation
Federal agents arrested him recently outside his Virginia home and told him about his visa revocation.
Suri has a post-doctoral fellowship at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University.
He completed his PhD in Peace & Conflict Studies from the Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Jamia Millia Islamia in 2020.
He is presently on a student visa and is married to an American citizen.
Deportation case
Allegations and response to Suri's detention
"Suri has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas," Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the DHS, wrote on X.
"The Secretary of State issued a determination on March 15, 2025 that Suri's activities...rendered him deportable under INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i)."
But his lawyer argued if the Trump administration sees an expert in conflict resolution as a threat to foreign policy, "then perhaps the problem is with the government, not the scholar."
Discrimination claims
Allegations of discrimination and lack of evidence
Suri's case comes amid Trump's push to deport foreigners participating in pro-Palestinian protests against Israel's actions in Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attack.
Such actions have been criticized by civil rights and immigrant groups, who say his administration is selectively targeting dissenters.
The DHS's lack of proof for the allegations against Suri has led to accusations of discrimination based on his wife's Palestinian background.
Institutional support
Georgetown University supports Suri amid deportation proceedings
Meanwhile, Georgetown University has backed Suri, saying he was given a visa to pursue his doctoral research.
The university said they have no knowledge of any illegal activity by Suri and have not been provided the reason for his detention either.
They reiterated their dedication to supporting members of the community's rights to free inquiry, deliberation, and debate even if the underlying ideas are controversial or objectionable.