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 His visa has been revoked over alleged support for Hamas.
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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00:12His visa has been revoked.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01:29on which his visa has been revoked.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.