Court Allows Researcher Badar Khan Suri to Stay Free Amid Deportation Fight

WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court has ruled that Dr. Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University researcher, can remain free as he contests attempts by the Trump administration to deport him. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued its decision on July 1, affirming a lower court’s ruling from May that ordered the government to release him from custody.

The court found that the government failed to justify its actions against Suri, indicating he was targeted for his First Amendment protected speech. In May, a federal judge in Alexandria criticized the government’s swift transfers of Suri from Virginia to Texas, suggesting it was an attempt to circumvent judicial oversight.

“Such conduct raises serious concerns,” said Judge James Andrew Wynn in the ruling. He cautioned against the government’s ability to undermine habeas jurisdiction through arbitrary movements of detainees. The court agreed that Suri’s arrest could chill his free speech rights further.

Suri, an Indian national with a J-1 research visa, was detained in March after returning home from a Ramadan meal. His legal team claims he was targeted due to pro-Palestine social media posts made by his wife, a U.S. citizen.

“They said someone very high at the Secretary of State’s office doesn’t want you here,” Suri recounted after his release. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary of State Marco Rubio deemed Suri deportable, but no evidence has been disclosed to support this claim.

In a dissent, Judge Harvie Wilkinson warned that allowing Suri to contest his deportation while simultaneously navigating the immigration court system could lead to systemic issues. Suri’s release means he will remain with his family in Virginia while his immigration proceedings continue, with a court appearance scheduled later this month.

Aside from Suri, several individuals have faced similar treatment under a provision allowing the Secretary of State to deport foreign nationals deemed threats to U.S. foreign policy. The ongoing scrutiny from Congress raises concerns about the potential violations of rights in these cases.

On July 1, members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary Rubio and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem demanding transparency and evidence supporting the claims against Suri. They emphasized that Suri does not pose a threat, given his family ties and absence of criminal history.