Lagatar24 Desk
Washington, DC: Indian-origin Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, has been arrestedand faces deportation from the United States over allegations of spreading Hamas propaganda and maintaining connections to a suspected terrorist.
Arrest and Deportation Order
According to reports, Suri was detained by masked agents outside his home in Virginia on Monday night. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has accused him of actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.
✔ Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary of DHS, stated that Suri had close connections to a senior advisor of Hamas, which led to his deportation order under INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i).
✔ The US Secretary of State issued a determination on March 15, 2025, ruling that Suri’s presence in the country posed a security threat.
Who Is Badar Khan Suri?
🔹 Dr. Badar Khan Suri is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, DC.
🔹 He completed his PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, in 2020.
🔹 His doctoral thesis focused on “Transitional Democracy, Divided Societies, and Prospects for Peace: A Study of State Building in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
🔹 Suri’s academic interests include ethnic conflicts, peace processes in the Middle East and South Asia, and religion-based violence and peace initiatives.
Georgetown University’s Response
✔ Georgetown University confirmed that Suri was in the US on a research visa related to peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan.
✔ Following his arrest, his profile was removed from the university’s website, making the information accessible only via login.
Family Background
🔹 Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, is a US citizen from Gaza and a first-year student at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies.
Next Legal Steps
✔ Suri is expected to face a deportation hearing soon, where his legal team will challenge the allegations.
✔ The DHS has yet to disclose full evidence publicly, but officials insist that his activities and associations pose a national security risk.
