US court halts expulsion of Indian scholar over alleged Hamas links

A US court has ruled that an Indian researcher at a top American university cannot be removed from the country following his arrest over alleged ties to Hamas.

Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, was detained amid growing concerns in academic circles about restrictions on research and speech under US president Donald Trump’s administration.

His lawyer called the detention a "targeted, retaliatory" move aimed at restricting his speech and discouraging others who "express support for Palestinian rights."

On Thursday evening, Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles of the Eastern District of Virginia Court issued an order preventing Suri’s removal from the US unless the court decides otherwise.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has filed an emergency motion to stop his deportation, said Suri is being held at an immigration detention centre in Louisiana.

"Ripping someone from their home and family, stripping them of their immigration status, and detaining them solely based on political viewpoint is a clear attempt by president Trump to silence dissent," said ACLU immigrant rights attorney Sophia Gregg. "That is patently unconstitutional."

On Wednesday, France condemned the expulsion of a French space scientist who was scheduled to attend a conference in Houston. US officials had searched his phone and cited "hateful" messages against US policy.

Georgetown University said in a statement that Suri is an Indian national who was granted a visa to continue his doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan. "We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention," the university stated.

Suri’s lawyer said no government official, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has alleged that he committed a crime or violated any law. The court filing claimed that his detention was based on his family connections and constitutionally protected speech.

Researcher’s arrest

Suri, a fellow at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, was arrested on Monday at his home in Arlington, Virginia, according to Politico.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said on X that Suri was "a foreign exchange student at Georgetown University actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media."

McLaughlin further claimed that he had "close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior adviser to Hamas."

The State Department determined that Suri could be deported under a provision of immigration law that allows for expulsion if a visa holder’s presence is deemed a threat to US foreign policy.

Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US government.

Georgetown University said it supports "community members’ rights to free and open inquiry, deliberation and debate, even if the underlying ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable."

Politico reported, citing Suri’s lawyer, that his wife is a US citizen of Palestinian descent, and the couple believe they are being targeted due to their suspected opposition to US policy on Israel.

(With inputs from AFP)