Overview

• Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, was detained in March by ICE after his visa was revoked over alleged Hamas ties and pro-Palestinian social media posts.
• U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ordered Suri's release, citing violations of his First Amendment right to free speech and Fifth Amendment due process protections.
• The judge ruled that Suri, who has not been charged with any crime, poses no threat to the community and must reside in Virginia while attending Texas immigration hearings virtually.
• Suri’s detention is part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on international students and academics for pro-Palestinian activism, with courts recently ordering the release of two other detained students.
• Civil rights groups and legal advocates argue the administration is weaponizing immigration law to suppress dissent, raising concerns about academic freedom and constitutional protections for noncitizens.