Badar Khan Suri, an Indian academic and visiting scholar at Georgetown University, has been released from immigration detention following a judge’s ruling that cited First Amendment violations. Suri was arrested by plainclothes federal agents outside his home in Arlington, Virginia, on March 17, 2025, and held at the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas for nearly two months. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused him of having “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist” and of disseminating Hamas propaganda on campus.
Describing his time in detention as “Kafka-esque,” Suri reported being excessively restrained with chains on his wrists, ankles, and body. “I was chained—my ankles, my wrist, my body. Everything was chained,” he recounted. He expressed deep distress, noting that for the first week, he was unaware of his destination and even missed his own shadow. “For the first seven, eight days, I even missed my shadow,” he told NBC News, emphasizing his confusion and fear. He claimed there were no charges against him, saying, “They made a sub-human out of me.”
Suri criticized the unhygienic conditions in the facility and lamented that his appeals to the ombudsman went unanswered. Throughout his detention, he worried about his family’s wellbeing. “I had only worried that, oh, my kids are suffering because of me,” he shared, mentioning his nine-year-old son and five-year-old twins. His wife informed him that their eldest was struggling emotionally, highlighting the need for mental health support.
U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles ordered Suri’s immediate release, deeming his detention a violation of his right to free speech. The judge allowed him to return to his family on personal recognisance. His legal team filed a habeas corpus petition to contest the legality of his detention. Court documents reveal that Suri was moved from Virginia to Texas and later to Louisiana due to overcrowding issues in Virginia.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary in the Department of Homeland Security, had previously asserted that Suri was involved in spreading propaganda and had ties to terrorism. His situation has prompted significant concern regarding the Trump administration’s immigration and free speech policies. Suri’s lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, contended that his client was targeted due to his political beliefs and associations, particularly because of his wife’s Palestinian heritage. The lawyer’s petition noted that Suri faced consequences for opposing U.S. foreign policy towards Israel.
Suri was teaching a course titled “Majoritarianism and Minority Rights in South Asia” and held a PhD in conflict studies from India. His father-in-law, Ahamed Yousef, previously served as a deputy foreign minister in the Hamas-led government in Gaza. The American Civil Liberties Union supported Suri, asserting that the government’s actions could intimidate free speech.
Currently, Suri awaits deportation proceedings in Texas while residing with his family in Virginia. The Trump administration is contemplating the suspension of habeas corpus for immigrants, potentially expediting deportation cases. However, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar has indicated that it is improbable Congress will reverse habeas corpus, emphasizing that the president cannot make such changes unilaterally.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/made-a-sub-human-of-me-indian-scholar-badar-khan-suri-recounts-torture-in-us-detention-8424894#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2025-05-16 00:18:00
