Authorities in the US have detained an Indian national for "spreading Hamas propaganda" and "having close connections to a known or suspected terrorist."

Badar Khan Suri, a research fellow at Georgetown University, was detained on Monday night outside his home in the Rosslyn neighbourhood of Arlington, Virginia, and now faces deportation.

CREDIT: Georgetown University

Suri, who has a PhD in peace and conflict studies from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, was in the US on a student visa. He is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgetown University and was also teaching a course on Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia.  

According to his family and lawyer, Suri was arrested by masked agents from the Department of Homeland Security, who also informed him that his visa had been revoked.

His lawyer stated that Suri has no criminal record and has not been charged with a crime. He also noted that Suri was targeted by the Trump administration due to his wife — a US citizen of Palestinian origin.

CREDIT: REUTERS

Suri is married to Mapheze Saleh, a graduate student at Georgetown University and the daughter of Hamas senior adviser Ahmed Yousef.

.@CAMERAonCampus reveals that Mapheze Saleh, a graduate student at @Georgetown is the daughter of a Hamas senior adviser.

Her student biography, since deleted from the university's website, states that she “has worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Gaza”: also known as… pic.twitter.com/vMxXzVrPL9

— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) February 13, 2025

The Department of Homeland Security has accused Suri of having ties to Hamas and said he had spread propaganda of the Palestinian militant group and antisemitism on social media, according to a statement it shared with Fox News.

According to DHS, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined that Suri's activities "rendered him deportable."

"Suri was a foreign exchange student at Georgetown University actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media. Suri has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior adviser to Hamas," Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said on X.

A university spokesperson said the institution has not received a reason for Suri's detention and was unaware of his engagement in alleged illegal activities.

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