Indian Student at Georgetown University Detained for Alleged Hamas Propaganda, Antisemitism on Social Media

Antisemitism on Social Media: U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has detained an Indian man studying at Washington's Georgetown University and is seeking to deport him after deeming him a harm to U.S. foreign policy, the student's lawyer said on Wednesday (March 19, 2025).

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused Badar Khan Suri of ties to the Palestinian militant group Hamas. It said he had spread Hamas propaganda and antisemitism on social media, according to a statement it shared with Fox News.

The DHS statement to Fox News, which was reposted by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, did not cite evidence. It said Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined that Suri's activities "rendered him deportable."

Also Read: Israel Launches Ground Operation in Gaza After Deadly Airstrikes

A university spokesperson said the institution has not received a reason for Suri's detention and was unaware of his engagement in alleged illegal activities.

Suri’s attorney pushed back on the allegations, saying: “If an accomplished scholar who focuses on conflict resolution is whom the government decides is bad for foreign policy, then perhaps the problem is with the government, not the scholar.”

“Dr. Khan Suri is an Indian national who was duly granted a visa to enter the United states to continue his doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan,” a Georgetown University spokesperson said in a statement to The Post.

“We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention,” the statement read. “We expect the legal system to adjudicate this case fairly.”

According to the Georgetown University website, Mapheze Saleh is from Gaza and has written for Qatari government-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera and Palestinian media outlets. She has also worked with the ministry of foreign affairs in war-ravaged strip.

Also Read: Sunil Chhetri Scores 95th Career Goal on Emotional Return to Indian Team vs Maldives

Suri has been a faculty member at Georgetown University this semester, teaching a course on “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia”. He holds a PhD in peace and conflict studies from an Indian university, and his research focuses on issues of conflict resolution.

Institutions under such investigation include Columbia University, the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, and Portland State University.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration arrested a Columbia University student, Mahmoud Khalil, and tried to deport him because he took part in pro-Palestinian protests. Khalil is now challenging his detention in court.

Trump, without proof, has claimed that Khalil supports Hamas. However, Khalil's lawyers say he has no connection to the group, which the U.S. calls a "foreign terrorist organisation."

“If an accomplished scholar who focuses on conflict resolution is whom the government decides is bad for foreign policy, then perhaps the problem is with the government, not the scholar,” his lawyer said in an email to Reuters.

The Indian national’s wife is a US citizen originally from Gaza and still has close ties to Palestinian enclave, working with its foreign ministry and writing for Al Jazeera and other Palestinian outlets, according to Georgetown’s website. Suri’s lawyer argued that his client was being targeted over his wife’s heritage and their support of Palestinian rights, Politico reported.

Also Read: Pakistani Actor Danish Taimoor Responds to Backlash Over Polygamy Remark: ‘I Still Stand By It’