A federal judge has ordered the immediate release of Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral scholar at Georgetown University, who was arrested in March and targeted for deportation under the Trump administration. Judge Patricia Giles declared that Khan Suri's detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated his First Amendment right to free speech and Fifth Amendment right to due process.
Khan Suri has been held at the Prairieland Detention Center in Texas since his arrest. His wife, Maphaz Ahmad Yousef, expressed her emotional reaction to the ruling, stating that hearing the judge's words “brought tears to my eyes.” In a press conference following the ruling, Yousef remarked, “I wish I could give her a heartfelt hug,” highlighting the personal significance of this legal victory.
During the same news conference, ACLU attorney Sophia Gregg emphasized that this case extends beyond Khan Suri’s release. “Americans don’t want to live in a country where the federal government disappears people whose views it doesn’t like,” she stated. “If they can do this to Dr. Suri, they can do this to anyone,” underscoring concerns over governmental overreach and civil liberties.
Khan Suri’s legal team had filed a habeas corpus petition to assess the legality of his detention. Initially detained overnight in Virginia, he was later transferred to Louisiana due to space constraints. The government sought to relocate the case out of Virginia, arguing that the petition should be filed where the detainee is currently held. Judge Giles denied this motion, citing a lack of clarity regarding Khan Suri's location at the time of the petition.
The Department of Homeland Security accused Khan Suri of “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media.” However, Judge Giles noted that the government failed to provide substantial evidence that Khan Suri posed a flight risk or any threat to the community. Additionally, there was no proof presented that he would be a national security risk.
During the press conference, Maphaz Ahmad Yousef shared that, despite the challenges her family faced, Khan Suri remained steadfast in his beliefs. “Badar told me, ‘If my suffering in the detention center is because I married to a Palestinian and because I spoke out against the genocide in Gaza, then I should wear it as a badge of honor,’” she recounted, illustrating his commitment to his cause.
Yousef, an American citizen originally from Gaza and a student at Georgetown, called for the release of others who have been “disappeared and detained,” including Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist in ICE custody since early March. “I can’t wait for the moment when my husband will reunite with my children,” she expressed, celebrating the ruling as a victory for justice.
Maphaz Ahmad Yousef's father, Ahmed Yousef, is a former adviser to the now-deceased Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Although he has been critical of Hamas and left his position over a decade ago, his connection to Khan Suri has brought scrutiny. Court documents reveal that Khan Suri met his father-in-law only once in 2013 to seek his blessing to marry Yousef. Since their relocation to the U.S. in 2023, direct communication between Khan Suri and Ahmed Yousef has ceased.
Despite facing challenges, Maphaz Ahmad Yousef has actively posted information regarding the situation in Gaza. Court documents indicate that Khan Suri expressed support for the Palestinian people and criticized U.S. support for Israel's actions in Gaza, although he denied ever attending protests. He stated, “I came to the U.S. to work and raise my family. I go to work, come home late, and still they came and took me and broke my family,” reflecting on the impact of his detention.
In his habeas petition, Khan Suri described the harsh conditions in the detention center. He reported that upon arrival in Texas, he was placed in a “TV room” rather than being assigned a bed in a dormitory. After five days, he finally received halal food following his requests for religious accommodations. Furthermore, he was issued a bright red uniform typically reserved for high-security inmates, which raised questions about the basis of his classification.
This case highlights critical issues surrounding immigration, free speech, and the treatment of individuals within the detention system. The ruling serves as a reminder that the rights of all individuals, regardless of their political views, deserve protection.
