Georgetown University Instructor Faces Deportation Amid Hamas Allegations
A doctoral candidate and part-time instructor at Georgetown University is confronting deportation proceedings following accusations of links to Hamas, escalating concerns amid heightened immigration enforcement policies.
Arrest and Legal Challenge
Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national and postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown University, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents near his residence in Rosslyn, Virginia, on Monday evening. His attorney, Hassan Ahmad, lodged a petition in Virginia federal court on Tuesday, advocating for Suri’s release and drawing parallels to the case of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil, as reported by Politico.
Ahmad contends that his client is being unfairly targeted due to his wife’s Palestinian heritage and their vocal support for Palestinian rights, asserting they have been subjected to online harassment and defamation.
Government Accusations of Propaganda and Antisemitism
Conversely, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleges Suri’s involvement in “actively disseminating Hamas propaganda” and “promoting antisemitism.” According to Campus Watch, Suri’s wife, Mapheze Ahmad Yousef Saleh, is the daughter of Ahmed Yousef, a former advisor to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza.
A DHS spokesperson stated to Fox News that Suri, identified as a foreign exchange student at Georgetown University, has been “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.” The spokesperson further asserted Suri’s “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas.”
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According to the DHS, the Secretary of State determined on March 15, 2025, that Suri’s activities and presence in the United States warrant deportation under INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i).
Social Media Posts Under Scrutiny
Despite his Georgetown University biography highlighting his research focus on the “peace process in the Middle East,” Suri is accused of endorsing Hamas online. He reportedly denied the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in a now-deleted post.
Campus Watch reported that Suri allegedly wrote, “Three lies by Israeli occupation, no proof whatsoever of babies beheaded, rapes or mass killing at carnival,” in reference to the events of October 7th. Suri, who also teaches a course on majority and minority rights in South Asia, has also reportedly expressed support for Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yasin in past posts.
He is cited as posting a video with the caption, “This is what Hamas argues. Sheikh Yaseen giving the reasons why his group is fighting for their land which was stolen.” Furthermore, Suri purportedly shared a video depicting Hamas militants holding Israeli child hostages, commenting, “This is how Hamas men deal with kids on Oct. 7.”
Wife’s Alleged Pro-Hamas Stance and “America is the Plague” Remark
Suri’s wife, a U.S. citizen, has also reportedly voiced support for Hamas on social media and discussed her involvement with the group’s governance. National Review reported that she informed Arabic media of her service with Hamas’ Committee to Break the Siege in Gaza, which was headed by her father.
She allegedly declared in Arabic on Instagram, “America is the plague.”
Deportation Proceedings and Detention
Agents informed Suri on Monday that they were from DHS and that his student visa had been revoked, according to the petition for his release. The petition states Suri is facing deportation under the same legal provision the Trump administration utilized in the Mahmoud Khalil case.
This provision allows the Secretary of State to deport non-citizens deemed a threat to foreign policy, even without criminal charges. Following his arrest, Suri was initially held in Virginia and is expected to be transferred to a detention center in Texas. According to Politico, as of Wednesday night, an online detainee locator indicated he was at an ICE staging center at an airport in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Attorney Hassan Ahmad stated he has been unable to contact his client since his detention and is uncertain if he will need to refile Suri’s release petition in Louisiana. Ahmad told Politico he is committed to “do whatever we can to release our client from detention and afford him due process.”
Attorney Criticizes Trump Administration
Ahmad criticized the Trump administration, asserting, “This is just another example of our government abducting people the same way they abducted Khalil.”
Khalil Case and Free Speech Debate
Mahmoud Khalil’s case has become central to the debate surrounding the Trump administration’s pledge to deport activists involved in pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. college campuses. The administration contends that these protests have, at times, encompassed support for Hamas and antisemitic harassment of Jewish students.
Khalil’s supporters argue his detention constitutes an infringement on free speech and have organized demonstrations in protest. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has countered critics, stating Khalil’s arrest is “not about free speech.”
Rubio argued that individuals entering the U.S. on a visa are visitors and the government retains the right to deny or revoke visas. He asserted that someone intending to incite “anti-Jewish student, anti-Semitic activities” would be denied a visa, and if such actions occur after entry, the visa will be revoked.
“This is not about free speech. This is about people who don’t have the right to be in the United States to begin with,” Rubio stated, emphasizing that “No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card,” and the U.S. can deny them for “virtually any reason,” including “being a supporter of Hamas.”
Rubio added that this also applies to those “coming into our universities and turning them upside down, and being complicit in what are clearly crimes of vandalization, complicit in shutting down learning institutions.”
Georgetown University Statement
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Georgetown University conveyed that they were unaware of Suri engaging in any illegal activity.
“Dr. Khan Suri is an Indian national who was duly granted a visa to enter the United States to continue his doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan,” the university stated. “We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention.”
Georgetown University added, “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.”