ICE arrests Georgetown student over alleged ties to Hamas senior adviser

Thursday

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Michael Edwards (Video Editor), Ali Caldwell (Motion Graphic Designer)

A Georgetown University doctoral student, Badar Khan Suri, was arrested by ICE in Virginia and is facing deportation. DHS alleges he spread Hamas propaganda and has ties to a Hamas adviser.
Suri’s attorney denies the claims of spreading propaganda, suggesting the arrest is linked in relation to his father-in-law, a former adviser to a senior Hamas official.
DHS is using the same immigration law to deport Suri and another student, Mahmoud Khalil.

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A Georgetown University doctoral student was arrested at his home in Virginia by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and now faces deportation, according to his lawyer who spoke to several news outlets. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the arrest.

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Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national studying in the U.S. on a student visa, was taken into custody during the week of March 17. He is currently being held in Alexandria, Louisiana, as he awaits his immigration court date.

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DHS alleged Hamas propaganda, terror ties

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin accused Suri of “spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.” She also said he has “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist who is a senior adviser to Hamas.”

Suri’s attorney, Hassan Ahmad, said his client denies all accusations. Ahmad suggested the arrest may be linked to Suri’s family ties rather than his own actions.

Suri is married to a Palestinian-American, and his father-in-law is a former adviser to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran in 2024. According to The New York Times, Suri’s father-in-law confirmed the family connection but stated that Suri has not participated in political activism.

What is the legal basis for deportation?

DHS said Secretary of State Marco Rubio deemed Suri “deportable” on March 15 under the Immigration and Nationality Act. This law allows the secretary of state to remove individuals whose presence could cause “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

The same provision is also being used to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student and pro-Palestinian activist.

How did Georgetown respond?

Georgetown University confirmed that Suri was granted a visa to conduct doctoral research on peace building in Iraq and Afghanistan. The university stated that it is not aware of any “illegal activity” involving him.

While DHS argued that the detention is a matter of national security, civil rights groups criticized the arrests of Suri and Khalil, suggesting they may violate First Amendment rights. Both students’ legal teams are actively challenging their detention and potential deportation.

Tags: Arrest, Deportation, Hamas, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement

A GEORGETOWN DOCTORAL STUDENT WAS DETAINED AT HIS HOME IN VIRGINIA BY U.S. IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS AND NOW FACES DEPORTATION –

ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT’S LAWYER – WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CONFIRMING HIS ARREST.

“BADAR KHAN SURI” – AN INDIAN NATIONAL STUDYING ON A STUDENT VISA – WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY THIS WEEK BY ICE.

HE’S CURRENTLY BEING HELD IN ALEXANDRIA LOUISIANA – AWAITING HIS COURT DATE IN IMMIGRATION COURT.

A DHS SPOKESPERSON SAYS SURI WAS “SPREADING HAMAS PROPAGANDA AND PROMOTING ANTISEMITISM ON SOCIAL MEDIA”.

TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN ALSO SAYS SURI HAS “CLOSE CONNECTIONS TO A KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TERRORIST WHO IS A SENIOR ADVISER TO HAMAS.”

THE STUDENT’S LAWYER – HASSAN AHMAD – SAYS SURI DENIES THE ALLEGATIONS.

AHMAD BELIEVES THE ARREST COULD SOLELY BE BASED ON WHO SURI’S FATHER-IN-LAW IS.

SURI IS MARRIED TO A PALESTINIAN AMERICAN –

AND HIS ATTORNEY SAYS **HER FATHER – IS A “**FORMER ADVISER TO HAMAS LEADER “ISMAIL HANIYEH” – WHO WAS ASSASSINATED LAST YEAR IN IRAN.

THE NEW YORK TIMES – SPOKE WITH SURI’S FATHER-IN-LAW – WHO CONFIRMED THE FAMILY TIES – BUT TOLD THE PAPER SURI HASN’T PARTICIPATED IN THE FAMILY’S “POLITICAL ACTIVISM.”

THE DHS SPOKESPERSON SAYS SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO DEEMED SURI “DEPORTABLE” ON MARCH 15TH UNDER A PROVISION OF IMMIGRATION LAW – THE “IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT” – WHICH GIVES SWEEPING POWER TO A SECRETARY OF STATE TO DEPORT INDIVIDUALS WHO “would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

THIS SAME PROVISION IS BEING USED TO DEPORT MAHMOUD KHALIL – A COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT AND PRO-PALESTINIAN LEAD ACTIVIST ON CAMPUS.

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY CONFIRMED SURI WAS GRANTED A VISA TO CONDUCT DOCTORAL RESEARCH ON “PEACEBUILDING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN” –

THE UNIVERSITY ALSOS SAYS ITS NOT AWARE OF SURI ENGAGING IN ANY ILLEGALY ACTIVITY.

DHS ARGUES THE DETENTION IS A MATTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY –

WHILE SOME CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SUGGEST THE ARRESTS OF SURI AND KHALIL ARE A VIOLATION OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.

BOTH STUDENTS’ LEGAL TEAMS ARE CHALLENGING THEIR DETENTION AND POTENTIAL DEPORTATION.

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