Indian researcher arrested in US for allegedly spreading Hamas propaganda, likely to be deported soon; Reports
An Indian researcher at Georgetown University, Badar Khan Suri, has been detained and faces deportation amidst heightened scrutiny of campus activism under the Trump administration. Suri, accused by immigration officials of promoting Hamas propaganda and antisemitism, was on a student visa conducting peacebuilding research.
FollowAn Indian researcher affiliated with a U.S. university was detained on Wednesday and now faces deportation, as campus activism comes under heightened scrutiny during the Trump administration. Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown University, has been accused by immigration officials of "disseminating Hamas propaganda and fostering antisemitism."
Suri, who holds a student visa, has been conducting research at Georgetown. According to a university spokesperson, his visa was issued to allow him to continue his doctoral studies focused on peacebuilding efforts 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 spokesperson told CBS News. "We support our community members' rights to free and open inquiry, deliberation and debate, even if the underlying ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable. We expect the legal system to adjudicate this case fairly."
DHS official shares details of Badar Khan Suri
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told CBS News that Suri, who was a foreign exchange student at Georgetown University, was "actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism through social media platforms." The official also claimed that Suri had "close ties to an individual known or suspected to be a senior adviser to Hamas."
According to a spokesperson, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ruled on March 15 that Suri’s actions and presence in the U.S. made him eligible for deportation under the Immigration and Nationality Act. However, the exact circumstances surrounding his detention are still not fully known. ICE’s online detainee locator shows that Suri is being held at an ICE detention center located at Alexandria International Airport in Louisiana.
A writ of habeas corpus challenging Suri’s detention was filed on March 18. CBS News has reached out to his attorney for comment.
This incident comes in the wake of the controversial March 8 arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and permanent resident, by ICE officials in New York City. Khalil was taken into custody over his participation in the 2024 pro-Palestinian protests on campus.
Khalil, a 30-year-old Algerian national born in Syria to Palestinian parents, is currently being held in detention in Louisiana. He was arrested in front of his wife, who was eight months pregnant at the time of the incident.
According to DHS statements made to CBS News last week, Khalil was arrested "in support of President Trump's executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism," claiming the former student "led activities aligned to Hamas." However, no concrete evidence was presented, and no formal criminal charges were specified.
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