A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Georgetown University scholar Dr. Badar Khan Suri must be released from Texas immigration detention, saying he poses no threat to the community and that the Trump administration likely violated his First Amendment rights when masked ICE agents snatched him outside his Virginia home in March.
A lawyer for the Indian-born Suri, who was teaching at Georgetown on an academic visa, announced the ruling outside the Virginia courtroom to massive cheers from the crowd.
The Trump administration accused Suri of “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media” when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested him and revoked his visa nearly two months ago.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles ruled that Suri may be released so long as he maintains his residency in Virginia and attends other hearings in his case, which he may do virtually.
Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh, a U.S. citizen who is Palestinian-American, released a statement after the ruling expressing deep gratitude to Giles for her ruling.
