Georgetown Scholar Released from Detention Amid Legal Challenges
ALVARADO, Texas — Badar Khan Suri, a scholar from Georgetown University, was released from immigration detention on Wednesday following a federal judge’s decision. His release comes after he faced arrest during the Trump administration’s stringent policies targeting foreign students.
Suri, who will be returning to his family in Virginia, is legally contesting his arrest and detention, claiming it infringes upon his constitutional rights, including the First Amendment. Additionally, he is still facing deportation proceedings in Texas.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Suri told reporters upon his release, expressing gratitude for finally being free after two months in detention.
Since the beginning of the Trump administration, immigration authorities have detained various college students involved in protests, particularly related to international conflicts such as the Israel-Hamas war. Suri is among those recently released, alongside Rumeysa Ozturk from Tufts University and Mohsen Mahdawi from Columbia University.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles in Alexandria, Virginia, stated she believed Suri had significant constitutional issues related to his case and considered the implications for his family. She also emphasized that Suri did not pose a danger to the community.
“Political speech related to international conflicts is generally protected,” Giles noted, reinforcing that the First Amendment applies to everyone, regardless of citizenship.
Suri’s arrest occurred on March 17, with plain-clothed officers taking him outside his apartment in Arlington, Virginia. His visa was allegedly revoked due to his social media activity and connections through his wife, who is of Palestinian descent. U.S. officials claim he has ties to Hamas, which has raised red flags regarding his status.
His legal team argues that the allegations of support for terrorism are unfounded and politically motivated. They emphasize that criticism of foreign governments should not lead to arrests in the United States.
After the hearing, Suri’s attorneys called the court’s decision a victory, criticizing the federal government’s actions against individuals for their political beliefs. Sophia Gregg, an attorney from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), highlighted the risk of normalizing such disregard for freedoms, warning that it could happen to anyone.
Suri, who arrived in the U.S. in 2022 through a J-1 visa, was poised to establish a career in academia. His focus had been on human rights issues in South Asia before his abrupt detention.
Expressing relief at being released, Suri also voiced concern for others still incarcerated, underscoring that his experience was profoundly troubling. “They made a subhuman out of me,” he stated, sharing his distress over the treatment he received during custody.
As discussions surrounding immigration practices and individual rights continue, Suri’s case serves as a poignant reminder of the need for careful consideration of national security and constitutional freedoms in America.
