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Georgetown postdoctoral fellow detained for Palestinian rights speech, ordered released by federal judge

May 14, 2025

Georgetown postdoctoral fellow detained for Palestinian rights speech, ordered released by federal judge

Dr. Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University on a valid research visa, was arrested by federal agents on March 17, 2025, outside his home in Arlington, Virginia. Plainclothes ICE agents detained him and transported him over 1,300 miles to detention facilities in Texas, where he remained for nearly two months in poor conditions. The Trump administration cited his social media posts supporting Palestinian rights and his wife's family connection to Gaza as grounds for visa revocation. On May 14, 2025, Federal Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ordered his release on bond, ruling that his statements constituted constitutionally protected political speech, that the First Amendment applies to noncitizens, and that his detention violated due process protections with no evidence of wrongdoing.

Timeline

May 14, 2025Federal Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles ordered Suri's release on bond, ruling detention violated First Amendment and due process rights, and that his statements were constitutionally protected political speech
Mar 17, 2025Dr. Badar Khan Suri arrested by plainclothes federal agents outside his home in Arlington, Virginia, and detained by ICE
Mar 17, 2025Suri transported over 1,300 miles to detention facilities in Texas

Sources

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