Irina Park
On July 1, a federal appeals court ruled Badar Khan Suri can remain free from immigration detention while fighting deportation efforts. Suri, a pro-Palestinian Georgetown University post-doctoral fellow from India, was arrested outside of his home in Arlington, Virginia in March amid a broader crackdown on students and activists. Suri was moved to Texas by the US government before being released in May under a judge’s order.
His arrest occurred during escalating government repression after being accused by federal authorities of antisemitism and deemed a threat to US imperialist policies and an “extremist sympathizer”, completely ignoring due process and democratic rights. The US State Department alleged Suri spread Palestinian militant propaganda and antisemitism on social media.
Suri’s wife, a US citizen from Gaza, has written for Palestinian media outlets and worked for the foreign ministry in Gaza. The couple, along with their three children, will now remain together in Virginia as Suri continues his battle against deportation.
The judges in this case found no grounds to disturb the May ruling freeing Suri from detention in Texas, rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to have Suri rearrested and returned to custody. On Tuesday, the judge, addressing the violations of due process in this case and highlighting the use of detention, arrest, and threat of deportation to target activists, stated that “to allow the government to undermine habeas jurisdiction by moving detainees without notice or accountability reduces the writ of habeas corpus to a game of jurisdictional hide-and-seek.”
This is another victory for the mass movement, and setback for the old state’s efforts to repress the Palestine solidarity movement and criminalize dissent, following the releases of Mohsen Mahdawi, Rumeysa Ozturk, and Mahmoud Khalil, all targeted for their advocacy and all ultimately freed from detention due to mass mobilizations and pressure, despite escalating repression, including threats of deportation which remain.
At a speaking event in July 3, Suri and his lawyers denounced the conditions he and other detainees endured in Louisiana and Texas ICE facilities—speaking of officers striking him, malnourishment, and overcrowded cells.
Image: Dr Suri after his release from Federal detention in May, photo released by the Suri family
The Worker is an entirely volunteer-run revolutionary newspaper free from and radically antagonistic to corporate influence. We rely on the support of our readers to sustain our editorial line in service of the working class and the reconstitution of its party, the Communist Party. Make a one-time or recurring donation to our newspaper today:
Make a one-time donation
Make a monthly donation
Make a yearly donation
Choose an amount
Or enter a custom amount
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Your contribution is appreciated.
DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly
