Federal Judge Orders Release of Indian Scholar Detained in Texas

Badar Khan Suri, an Indian visiting scholar at Georgetown University, was released from U.S. immigration detention after a federal judge ruled that his constitutional rights, including First Amendment protections, were likely violated. Suri was arrested in March 2024 by masked federal agents in Virginia and detained in Texas following the revocation of his J-1 visa under Trump administration policies targeting foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. Authorities accused him of supporting Hamas due to his social media activity and his Palestinian American wife's familial ties, claims that civil rights groups have criticized. His release was ordered by U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles, who had previously halted his deportation and mandated his release on personal recognizance. Advocacy groups hailed the ruling as a significant setback for the Trump administration's efforts to suppress political dissent among international students. Suri's case has intensified debates about the treatment and rights of foreign activists studying in the United States.