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Badar Khan Suri, a visiting scholar, was detained for nearly two months over alleged terrorism links. A judge ordered his release, citing First Amendment violations. His case highlights concerns about immigration and free speech under the Trump administration.
Badar Khan Suri, an Indian academic and visiting scholar at Georgetown University, was released from immigration detention after a court order.
Suri was arrested by plainclothes federal agents outside his home in Arlington, Virginia, on March 17, 2025. He was held at the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas for nearly two months. The US Department of Homeland Security accused him of having “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist” and spreading Hamas propaganda on campus.
Suri described his experience in detention as “Kafka-esque,” saying he was chained everywhere – wrist, ankles, and body. “I was chained – my ankles, my wrist, my body. Everything was chained.” He also mentioned that during the first seven to eight days, he didn’t know where he was being taken and even missed his shadow.
“For the first seven, eight days, I even missed my shadow,” NBC News quoted him as saying. He also added that, “There was no charge, there was nothing.” He said, “They made a sub-human out of me.”
Suri claimed the facilities were unhygienic and tried to raise concerns with the ombudsman, but never received a response, according to the NBC report. During his detention Suri was tensed about his family back home. “I had only worried that, oh, my kids are suffering because of me. My eldest son is only nine, and my twins are only five.” He also said, “My nine-year-old knows where I am. He was going through very rough times. My wife used to tell me that he was crying. He needs support from mental health.”
US District Judge Patricia Giles, ruling from Alexandria, Virginia, ordered Suri’s immediate release, stating that his detention was in violation of the First Amendment – the right to free speech. The judge authorised his return to his family on personal recognisance.
Suri’s lawyers filed a habeas corpus petition to challenge the lawfulness of his detention, per the report. According to court documents, Suri was sent to Texas after being detained in Virginia overnight, and then transferred to Louisiana because of lack of space in Virginia.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary in the Department of Homeland Security had said that Suri was spreading Hamas propaganda on campus and also had “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist”.
Suri’s case has raised concerns about the Trump administration’s policies on immigration and free speech. Hassan Ahmad, his lawyer, argued that he was targeted for his political views and associations.
In his petition, Suri’s lawyer said that he was “being punished because of the Palestinian heritage of his wife, and because the government suspects that he and his wife oppose US foreign policy toward Israel”, according to Politico.
Suri was teaching “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia” and also had a PhD in conflict studies from India. His father-in-law, Ahamed Yousef, was a former deputy foreign minister in the Hamas government in Gaza.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) supported Suri’s case, emphasising that ideas are not illegal and that the government’s actions could chill free speech.
Suri now awaits deportation proceedings in Texas while living with his family in Virginia. The Trump administration is considering suspending habeas corpus for immigrants, which could fast-track deportation proceedings. However, US Senator Amy Klobuchar has stated that Congress is unlikely to reverse habeas corpus, and the president cannot do it alone.
