American Dream Shattered: Georgetown Scholar Detained, Deported!

2025-03-20 06:02:52.053

US President Donald Trump’s administration has detained Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University scholar, and is seeking to deport him. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accuses Suri of ties to Hamas, alleging he spread propaganda and antisemitism on social media. The DHS statement, shared with Fox News and reposted by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, lacked evidence. Secretary of State Marco Rubio deemed Suri’s activities deportable. Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, is married to a US citizen and was arrested outside his home. His lawyer stated Suri is awaiting a court date and that the government's actions are problematic. Georgetown University stated it was unaware of any illegal activity by Suri. This case follows the Trump administration’s attempt to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate, for participation in pro-Palestinian protests. Both cases have sparked outcry from civil rights and immigrant advocacy groups, who accuse the administration of unfairly targeting political critics. Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, is from Gaza and has written for Al Jazeera and Palestinian media outlets. Suri teaches a class on "Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia" and holds a PhD in peace and conflict studies. The Trump administration's actions are seen by some as conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism.