Dozens of supporters are currently gathered outside the U.S. District Court in Alexandria to support Georgetown University professor Dr. Badar Khan Suri during his immigration hearing. The rally, which began at 1 p.m. on May 1, continues as supporters await the results of the proceedings.
Dr. Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on March 17 after his J-1 visa was revoked. According to rally organizers, he was “abducted by masked ICE agents” as part of what they describe as a campaign against visa and green card holders connected to pro-Palestine activism.
“Dr. Khan Suri’s unlawful detainment is the result of the Trump administration’s vicious crackdowns on free speech and anti-genocide activism,” says Amanda Eisenhour, a lead organizer of the action. “Make no mistake, if we allow this injustice, the administration will continue to prey upon our community members.”
Today’s hearing aims to determine whether Dr. Khan Suri will be returned to Virginia before his trial and if the trial will be held locally. After his detention, ICE officials briefly held him in Virginia before transferring him to Louisiana within 24 hours. He has since been moved to Texas, where he remains in custody.
Dr. Khan Suri, an Indian national, was in the United States on a J-1 visa through his work at Georgetown’s Alwaleed Bin Talal Center. He is married to an American citizen, Mapheze Saleh, who is of Palestinian descent. The State Department revoked his visa two days before his detention.
Supporters outside the courthouse chant slogans including “Due Process Now,” “No fear, No Hate, No ICE in our state,” and “The people, united, will never be defeated.” Among those present is Zeina Azzam, a Palestinian American poet and former Poet Laureate of Alexandria, who recited a poem during the rally.
The Department of Homeland Security alleges that Khan Suri was “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin also accuses him of having “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas.”
According to court filings, Khan Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, was born in the U.S. and moved to Gaza at age 5. Her father served as political advisor to the Prime Minister of Gaza and as Deputy of Foreign Affairs in Gaza until 2010. The New York Times reports that Ahmed Yousef, a former adviser to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, confirmed he is Suri’s father-in-law.
The case continues to develop as supporters await the outcome of today’s hearing. Updates on this story can be found here –US wants to move Georgetown scholar’s deportation lawsuit from Alexandria to Texas. Judge appears skeptical.
