Georgetown University graduate student from India, Badar Khan Suri, was detained by federal immigration authorities while teaching on a student visa. The agents informed him that his visa had been revoked, but no reason was provided for his detention. Suri, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown, has not been accused of any wrongdoing by the university. His lawyer has condemned the detainment as unjust and believes Suri’s academic work on conflict resolution should not be considered a threat to national security.
Suri’s detainment comes amidst other cases of student visa holders facing deportation for their political activities. The Trump administration is seeking to deport Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil for his involvement in anti-Israel protests. Advocates for Suri argue that the government should not target scholars based on their academic research or political beliefs. Suri’s lawyer has filed a petition in federal court to challenge the legality of his detainment.
Georgetown University has expressed support for Suri and his right to academic freedom and inquiry. Suri’s areas of expertise include religion, violence, and peace processes in the Middle East and South Asia. His detainment has raised concerns about academic freedom and the targeting of scholars for their research and political views. Rubio has defended deportation attempts, stating that no one has a right to a student visa, while Suri’s lawyer argues that scholars should not be targeted for their academic work.
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