Judge Halts Deportation of Indian Scholar in the US
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Synopsis
A federal judge in New York has blocked the deportation of Indian academic Badar Khan Suri, who was detained after his student visa was revoked. The judge's ruling prevents his removal without a court order amidst allegations related to his marriage to a Palestinian-American.
Key Takeaways
- Badar Khan Suri is an Indian academic detained in the US.
- His visa was revoked leading to deportation efforts.
- Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles blocked his deportation.
- Accusations involve ties to Hamas.
- His case highlights tensions over US foreign policy.
New York, March 21 (NationPress) A federal judge has intervened to prevent the deportation of Indian scholar Badar Khan Suri, who was apprehended by US immigration officials following the cancellation of his student visa.
In a ruling on Thursday, Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles granted an appeal on Suri's behalf, stating that he, currently held in a detention facility in Louisiana, cannot be expelled without a court order.
Suri holds a PhD from Jamia Milia University in New Delhi and was a post-doctoral fellow at Georgetown University where he taught a course on “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia”.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, accused him of spreading “Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media”.
She claimed he had “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas”, referring to his father-in-law, Ahmed Yousef.
However, Suri's attorney argued that the deportation efforts were motivated by his marriage to a Palestinian-American, highlighting concerns over his “family ties to individuals who may have criticized US foreign policy regarding Israel”.
A statement from Georgetown University indicated, “We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention”.
According to the university's website, Suri's wife Mapheze Saleh, who is pursuing a master’s in Arab Studies, has previously worked for “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza” and has contributed to outlets like Middle East Monitor, Al Jazeera, and Palestinian media.
Suri marks the second Indian academic caught up in President Donald Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests at various universities across the US.
Instances of these protests have sometimes crossed into anti-Semitism and support for Hamas.
Earlier this month, Ranjani Srinivasan, a PhD student at Columbia University, fled to Canada after immigration officials canceled her student visa and sought her out.
Suri’s lawyer reported that on Monday, masked Homeland Security agents apprehended him outside his residence in a Washington suburb and took him into custody.
He was initially placed in a detention center in Farmville, Virginia, before being relocated to Louisiana.
His legal team is advocating for his transfer to a facility nearer to his home as the case moves forward.
Mapheze Saleh, a US citizen, holds a master’s degree from Jamia Milia University and has worked at the Qatar Embassy in New Delhi, as reported by Georgetown University.
