Judge Blocks Trump Admin from Deporting Indian-Muslim Academic Over Pro-Palestine Views

A U.S. district judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting Badar Khan Suri, an Indian academic at Georgetown University, after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused him of ties to Hamas. Judge Patricia Giles issued the order on Thursday, preventing Suri’s removal until further court proceedings.

Suri, whose wife is of Palestinian heritage, filed an emergency request to halt deportation. DHS agents arrested him Monday after revoking his visa. His lawyers argue that his detention, following a Ramadan meal, is a politically motivated attempt to silence pro-Palestinian voices. The ACLU of Virginia contends that holding him at an ICE facility without legal access violates his rights.

DHS claims Suri spread Hamas propaganda and antisemitic content online, but no evidence has been provided. His wife, a U.S. citizen, is the daughter of a former Hamas political adviser. Pro-Israel social media accounts previously publicized their home address. Suri’s attorneys assert his arrest is part of Trump’s broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism.

Georgetown University supports Suri’s right to free expression, stating they are unaware of any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the administration continues efforts to deport foreign nationals linked to pro-Palestinian demonstrations, despite civil liberties groups condemning these actions as unconstitutional.

If you value our journalism…

TMJ News is committed to remaining an independent, reader-funded news platform. A small donation from our valuable readers like you keeps us running so that we can keep our reporting open to all! We’ve launched a fundraising campaign to raise the $10,000 we need to meet our publishing costs this year, and it’d mean the world to us if you’d make a monthly or one-time donation to help. If you value what we publish and agree that our world needs alternative voices like ours in the media, please give what you can today.