Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, has been released from US immigration custody after a federal judge ruled that his detention violated his constitutional rights. Suri had been held in Texas for nearly two months following his arrest in March over alleged ties to Hamas.
Suri was taken into custody on March 17 outside his residence in Arlington, Virginia, by plain-clothed federal agents. He was later transported to immigration detention centres in Louisiana and Texas.&nbsp;
On Wednesday, US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ordered his immediate release, allowing him to return home to his wife and three children in Virginia on personal recognisance.
Judge Giles found that Suri presented no danger to the public and held that his continued detention infringed on his constitutional rights. She stressed that criticism of Israel&rsquo;s military actions constituted protected political speech under the First Amendment, which applies to both citizens and non-citizens.&nbsp;
The judge dismissed the Justice Department&rsquo;s arguments that the case should remain in Texas for logistical and cost reasons, stating that concerns over national security do not supersede constitutional protections.
Suri&rsquo;s legal team is pursuing claims that his arrest and detention were unconstitutional, citing violations of the First Amendment and other rights. He also continues to face deportation proceedings in Texas. The Department of Homeland Security contends that Suri&rsquo;s visa was revoked due to his social media activity and alleged links to Hamas, which is designated by the US as a terrorist organisation.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, stated on X that Suri had been &ldquo;actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media.&rdquo; She also alleged that he maintained &ldquo;close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas.&rdquo;
Media reports indicate that Suri&rsquo;s wife, Mapheze Saleh, is the daughter of Ahmed Yousef, a former adviser to the assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Suri&rsquo;s attorneys have argued that he is being unfairly targeted based on distant familial associations. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) noted that Suri had minimal contact with his father-in-law.
Saleh responded to the court&rsquo;s decision in a statement issued by the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR), which is representing Suri in court. &ldquo;Hearing the judge&rsquo;s words brought tears to my eyes,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Speaking out about what&rsquo;s happening in Palestine is not a crime. Let&rsquo;s show the world that this country is still a place where people can and do express their beliefs without fear.&rdquo;
Attorney Astha Sharma Pokharel of the CCR commented on the ruling, stating, &ldquo;The court&rsquo;s order today should send a clear message to the Trump administration that it cannot arrest someone, rip them away from their family, and incarcerate them just for standing in solidarity with Palestinians and against the genocide in Gaza.&rdquo;
Sophia Gregg, a lawyer with the ACLU, also criticised the federal government&rsquo;s actions, remarking, &ldquo;Ideas are not illegal. If they can do this to Dr Suri, they can do this to anyone.&rdquo;
Nader Hashemi, associate professor at Georgetown University, described the judge&rsquo;s ruling as &ldquo;a victory&rdquo; not only for Suri and his family but also &ldquo;for the struggle for democracy in the United States.&rdquo;
Suri&rsquo;s father, speaking in an interview, rejected the accusations brought against his son, calling them false and based on misleading associations. He confirmed that the family had not communicated directly with Suri since his arrest and were relying on updates from his wife, who remains in contact with his legal representatives.
Suri arrived in the United States in 2022 on a J-1 visa as a visiting scholar and postdoctoral fellow. Prior to his detention, he had been teaching a course on majority and minority human rights in South Asia at Georgetown University. He intended to continue his academic career in the US.
His case has drawn significant attention amid broader concerns about the treatment of foreign scholars and students during the Trump administration, particularly those involved in campus demonstrations supporting Palestine.
Suri&rsquo;s release comes shortly after the release of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University, and Mohsen Mahdawi from Columbia University, who were also detained in similarly high-profile incidents.
&nbsp;

A US judge orders release of Indian scholar Badar Khan Suri, citing free speech violations in Hamas-related case.

Indian Scholar Freed After US Detention Over Hamas Links

A US judge orders release of Indian scholar Badar Khan Suri, citing free speech violations in Hamas-related case.

May 15, 2025 | 11:40 IST