Trump administration detains Indian student over Hamas support in crackdown

Badar Khan Suri, an Indian student at Washington's Georgetown University, was arrested by federal agents outside his home in Rosslyn, Virginia, for alleged ties with the militant group Hamas

In a crackdown on Hamas supporters in the US, President Donald Trump’s administration has detained Badar Khan Suri, an Indian student at Washington’s Georgetown University. The Trump administration alleged that Suri has ties with Palestinian militant group Hamas and is involved in spreading their propaganda on social media, according to a report by Fox News on Thursday, citing the statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

 

The student’s lawyer said that US officials are seeking to deport him by considering him harm to the US foreign policy.

 

Badar Khan Suri’s lawyer stated that he has been detained in Alexandria, Louisiana, and is awaiting a court hearing in immigration court. He mentioned that Suri was arrested by federal agents outside his home in Rosslyn, Virginia, on Monday night.

 

Lack of evidence against Suri

 

The statement, shared by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, did not provide evidence to support its allegations against the Indian student. It also claimed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had deemed Suri’s activities to have “rendered him deportable.” The Georgetown University student is further accused of spreading “antisemitism” on social media.

 

A university spokesperson stated that the institution has not been given a reason for Suri’s detention and was unaware of any alleged illegal activities involving him.

 

Who is Badar Khan Suri?

 

Badar Khan Suri, an international student in the US on a student visa, is married to Mapheze Saleh, a US citizen. He is a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, which is part of the School of Foreign Service.

 

The Georgetown University’s website states that Mapheze Saleh is from Gaza. She has contributed to Al Jazeera, a news outlet funded by the Qatari government, as well as other Palestinian media organisations. She has also been affiliated with Gaza’s foreign ministry. 

Suri holds a PhD from Jamia Millia Islamia’s Nelson Mandela Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution in 2020  and is currently teaching a class on ‘Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia’.

 

Trump’s crackdown on Palestinian supporters

 

Last week, US officials canceled Indian student Ranjani Srinivasan’s visa for joining the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University last year. After the visa cancellation, she was left with no option but to self-deport from the US. Srinivasan left the US on March 15, 2025, as confirmed by the DHS.

 

A DHS video reportedly shows Srinivasan at an airport, hurrying down a jetway with her luggage before flying out on Tuesday. The Washington Times first reported her departure, citing DHS sources.

 

In another instance, the US deported Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese doctor and assistant professor at Brown University’s medical school, after authorities found what they called “sympathetic photos and videos” of Hezbollah’s former leader Hassan Nasrallah, in her mobile device. Hezbollah is an ally of Hamas and Iran in the war against Israel.