Washington DC: The US authorities have arrested an Indian student, Badar Khan Suri, on allegations of ties with the Hamas organization.
Suri, a postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown University, was accused by the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistant Secretary, Tricia McLaughlin, of promoting support for Hamas and maintaining close connections with individuals linked to the group.
Following these allegations, his visa was revoked, and federal agents arrested him outside his residence in Virginia on Monday.Suri has challenged his arrest in immigration court, asserting that he has no criminal history and claiming that he was targeted due to his wife’s Palestinian heritage.
Georgetown University issued a statement expressing support for a fair and transparent investigation, emphasizing their commitment to lawful proceedings. This incident comes amidst heightened actions by the U.S. government against students supporting Palestine.
Last year, protests erupted across several universities in the U.S., leading to the arrest of nearly 2,000 demonstrators.In a similar case, the Department of Homeland Security recently revoked the visa of another Indian student, Ranjani Srinivasan, for participating in pro-Palestine protests.
