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"Deeply troubled" by detention of scholar, says Georgetown Dean
A federal judge has intervened to temporarily block Suri's deportation.
Badar Khan Suri / acmcu.georgetown.edu
Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service (SFS) dean Joel Hellman has expressed deep concern over the detention of Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national and postdoctoral fellow at the university.
Calling the move "deeply troubling" for academic freedom and freedom of expression on campus, Hellman in a statement said, “As an individual, I am deeply concerned for the welfare of our colleague and his family. As dean, I am deeply troubled by the chilling effect such events could have on freedom of expression on this campus.”
Also Read: US judge bars deportation of pro-Palestinian Indian student
Hellman noted that while on campus Suri had not engaged in any illegal activities nor posed a security threat. He had been teaching a class on conflict resolution in South Asia and, like many in the academic community, had exercised his constitutionally protected rights to express views on the war in the Middle East, the dean said.
Suri, who was conducting research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan at Georgetown’s Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, was detained by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on March 17, leading to the revocation of his legal work authorization.
He is currently being held outside the Washington, D.C., jurisdiction pending a hearing. DHS officials have accused Suri of disseminating Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media platforms.
Suri's legal representatives have refuted these allegations, attributing the detention to his familial ties, particularly his marriage to Mapheze Saleh, a U.S. citizen and daughter of Ahmed Yousef, a former senior political advisor to Hamas leadership.
A federal judge has intervened to temporarily block Suri's deportation. U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles issued an order stating that Suri "shall not be removed from the United States unless and until the Court issues a contrary order."
Georgetown is in communication with Suri’s family and exploring ways to support him while complying with federal requirements. The university will assess additional steps to protect its international community as more information emerges.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson in response to Suri’s detention said, “We are given to understand through media reports that this individual has been detained. Neither the U.S. government nor the individual has approached us or the Embassy.”
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