US deports Indian student over support for Hamas

India Today

Bahadur Khan Suri, an Indian national and postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University, has been detained by US federal immigration authorities. His visa has been revoked over alleged support for Hamas.

Transcript

00:00Another Indian student to be deported is what we're learning.

00:03Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national and postdoctoral fellow in Georgetown University,

00:08has been detained by federal immigration authorities.

00:12His visa has been revoked.

00:15This over support to Hamas is what we're learning.

00:21I'm going to go straight across to Geeta Mohan for more details on that story.

00:26Geeta, what more can you tell us about this student,

00:28an Indian national, a postdoctoral fellow from Georgetown University?

00:34Well, that's right.

00:35Trisha McLaughlin, who is the spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security,

00:39has confirmed that Suri, who is an Indian national,

00:43has been suspected of terrorism and is a senior advisor to Hamas.

00:49And the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, issued a determination,

00:54which is in order, that his visa be revoked

00:58and that he is now, quote-unquote, deportable.

01:01So he is at a detention center right now.

01:05While his lawyers have put in a petition to the department saying that it is not him,

01:13but he has a Palestinian-of-origin American wife,

01:17and her activities could be the reason why the actions are being taken against him.

01:24But the Department of Homeland Security is very, very clear on the grounds

01:29on which his visa has been revoked.

01:32And they, in no uncertain terms, have mentioned that he was actively,

01:39again, according to DHS, was spreading Hamas propaganda

01:46and promoting anti-Semitism on social media.

01:50They have been opposing American action against Palestine,

01:56or the support to Israel on the actions that Israel is taking in Palestine on the Gaza Strip.

02:02Now, there have been open advocates of peace and a ceasefire.

02:07But this is a very serious charge.

02:10He is in detention, and in all probability,

02:13because he is deportable, will be sent back to India.

02:17He's a pro-Palestinian student.

02:18And the message, Gita, from the Trump administration has been very clear

02:21that this sort of dissent isn't going to be allowed.

02:24Having said that, do these students have any other option, any legal option at all?

02:32Well, if the visa is revoked, there is no legal action that can be taken on the decision

02:39taken by the federal administration.

02:42But yes, his lawyers are fighting on Trump administration violating the First Amendment

02:48itself by retaliating against non-citizens.

02:53He is not a citizen.

02:54His wife, indeed, is.

02:56They also have a child.

02:57So sending them back will invite lawsuits by these students.

03:04One will have to wait and see how the courts really decide

03:07on the decisions being taken by the federal administration.

03:10With regards to decision on what comprises First Amendment, freedom of speech,

03:19and what then falls in the realm of terrorism and supporting terrorist organizations.

03:28All right.

03:29Gita, getting in those details of Foreign Affairs Editor, with that,

03:33with her inputs and with her perspective on that important story that we are tracking,

03:36this is the second student in the last few days to be deported back.

03:41A postdoctoral student who is considered pro-Palestine is getting deported from the U.S.

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