March 20, 2025: The Trump administration has detained Badar Khan Suri, an Indian scholar at Georgetown University, on allegations of spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media. Fox News reported the arrest on Thursday, citing a statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Federal agents arrested Suri outside his residence in Rosslyn, Virginia, on Monday night. He is currently being held in Alexandria, Louisiana, as he awaits a court date in immigration court. His lawyer has stated that the US government is seeking his deportation, arguing that his activities pose a threat to the country’s foreign policy.

The DHS statement, which was later reposted by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, did not provide direct evidence of Suri’s alleged affiliations with Hamas. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly determined that his actions made him "deportable."

Georgetown University officials have expressed concern over the arrest, stating that they have not been given any formal justification for Suri’s detention. The scholar, a postdoctoral fellow at the university’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, has been teaching a course this semester on "Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia."

Suri is married to Mapheze Saleh, a US citizen originally from Gaza, who has contributed to Al Jazeera and other Palestinian media outlets. She has also worked with the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The case has sparked discussions over free speech and academic freedom, with critics questioning the basis of Suri’s arrest and the Trump administration’s hardline stance on foreign nationals linked to Middle Eastern affairs. Legal proceedings are expected to follow in the coming days.