A federal judge has stepped in to block the deportation of Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, as the U.S. government—under President Donald Trump’s administration—ramps up its campaign against foreign nationals linked to pro-Palestinian activism.
Suri was taken into custody outside his Virginia home earlier this week and transferred through a chain of immigration detention centers before landing in Alexandria, Louisiana. His sudden arrest sent shockwaves through civil rights circles, as critics allege the government is targeting him not for any real threat, but for his political beliefs—and his wife’s Palestinian heritage.
The Department of Homeland Security claims Suri has ties to Hamas and accused him of amplifying antisemitic content online. These accusations came shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed off on his removal, citing a supposed risk to U.S. foreign policy. No formal charges have been filed in court to substantiate those allegations.
Suri’s lawyer pushed back hard, describing the arrest as a violation of due process and arguing that the government is attempting to punish protected speech. The federal court’s temporary order stops the deportation until further notice, marking what the defense called “the first moment of fairness” since Suri was taken from his home.
Suri, who holds a student visa and is married to U.S. citizen Mapheze Saleh, works at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Saleh, originally from Gaza, has written for Middle Eastern media outlets and held a position with Gaza’s foreign ministry. Her father has previously been associated with Hamas in an advisory role, but neither she nor Suri has been charged with any crime.
The case is part of a broader crackdown: Just weeks earlier, another student—Mahmoud Khalil of Columbia University—was also detained and now faces deportation over his participation in protests against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Trump has accused pro-Palestinian demonstrators of antisemitism and supporting terrorism, often without offering evidence.
Civil liberties organizations have condemned the arrests as an attempt to equate dissent with danger. As the legal battles mount, the question looms: is this national security enforcement—or political retribution wrapped in immigration law?
