A postdoctoral Indian researcher with Georgetown University, has been detained by immigration authorities in the US for allegedly supporting Palestinian militant group Hamas. Badar Khan Suri, who is pursuing his education in the US on a student visa, is likely to face deportation from the country.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has also accused Suri of spreading propaganda favouring Hamas and promoting antisemitic content on social media. A DHS spokesperson alleged that Suri had close relations with a suspected terrorist believed to be a “senior advisor to Hamas”.

Reliable sources at Georgetown University said that he got the visa for continuing his doctoral research on “peace building in Iraq and Afghanistan”. The institution authorities have expressed their view over the current controversy by saying that they were not aware of Suri engaging in any “illegal activity” and that they would support the university community members’ “right to free and open inquiry, deliberation and debate, even if the underlying ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable. We expect the legal system to adjudicate this case fairly”.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio had earlier spoken out on the issue. According to Rubio, “Suri’s activities and presence in the United States rendered him deportable”, under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

On the other hand, civil rights advocates have expressed concern over the matter as it amounted to potential violations of First Amendment rights by targeting individuals for their diverse political views.

Suri, who completed his Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia’s Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution in New Delhi in 2020, has been detained in Louisiana, and his student visa revoked.

However, Suri is challenging the legality of his detention. His legal counsel has filed a writ of habeas corpus pointing to the fact that the arrest could be because of Suri’s wife, who is a U.S. citizen from Gaza. – editor@nrifocus.com