US Judge blocks deportation of Indian researcher accused of 'spreading Hamas propaganda'

A US judge ruled on Thursday that an Indian researcher at a top American university cannot be deported following his arrest and possible expulsion over alleged links to Hamas and for spreading propaganda in support of the armed group.

He is a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University in Washington.

Suri’s lawyer described his arrest as a “targeted, retaliatory detention” intended to silence him and others who support Palestinian rights.

On Thursday evening, Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ruled that Suri cannot be deported unless the court decides otherwise.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also filed an emergency motion to prevent his deportation and stated that he is being held in an immigration detention centre in Louisiana.

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“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.

His lawyer stated that neither Secretary of State Marco Rubio “nor any other government official has alleged that Mr Suri has committed any crime or, indeed, broken any law whatsoever.”

The filing accused the US government of detaining Suri “based on his family connection and constitutionally protected free speech.”

Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, stated on X that Suri was “a foreign exchange student at Georgetown University actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media.”

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McLaughlin accused him of having “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior adviser to Hamas.”

Suri’s arrest

Suri was arrested on Monday at his home in Arlington, Virginia, according to a report from Politico.

He is conducting his research at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, according to the university website.

Politico, citing Suri’s lawyer’s petition, reported that Suri’s wife is a US citizen of Palestinian descent. The couple believes they are being targeted because the government suspects they oppose US policy on Israel.

Concerns of free speech, threats to research

Badar Khan Suri’s detention, just two months into President Donald Trump’s term, sparked concerns in academia about threats to research and free speech.