WASHINGTON, DC — Nader Hashemi, professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Politics at Georgetown University, praises the criticism of voices of efforts to silence pro-Palestinian protesters and scholars amid Israeli war in Gaza.
These efforts have reached new heights under President Donald Trump’s administration, taking the extraordinary measure of detaining Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil in detention and seeking resident Mahmoud Khalil who married a US citizen last week.
Immigration authorities then came to one of Hashemi’s own students. Earlier this week, the agents detained Badal Khansuri, a postdoctoral researcher at Prince Alwaleed Binthalal Centre, Georgetown for Understanding Muslims and Christianity, directed by Hasemi.
“It’s shocking and confirms our worst fears that authoritarian oppression of American universities is growing under the Trump administration,” Hashemi said.
Civil Liberties Groups and Rights Observers cut off the deportation of Halil – and challenged. This is described by Hashemi and other observers as an extension of anti-Palestinian prejudice in the US government.
They say it often blends anti-Semitic sentiment and support for Hamas, which the US classifies as a “terrorist organization,” in statements criticizing Israel’s military action and support for Palestinians.
However, Hashemmi and his colleagues are seeing the targeting of pickpockets in the US on student visas.
Caledo Elgindi, a visiting scholar in Georgetown focused on issues of Palestine and Israel, said the Trump administration’s enforcement efforts appear to be in “a different territory in this case,” surpassing student visa holders and US residents’ approval of the protests.
“It appears this person was targeted, not his behaviorism,” he said.
“An adverse effect of foreign policy”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed Wednesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has approved the deportation of Sri.
Spokesman Tricia McLaughlin said Rubio was determined by citing the same law that was used to justify Halil’s attempts to deport Halil.
This is a provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 that gives power to the Secretary of State to eliminate non-citizens whose presence in the United States is considered “the impact of unfavorable foreign policy.”
McLaughlin accused Suri of “actively spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting anti-Semitism on social media.” The Ministry of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for further information from Al Jazeera.
She also said that Suri “has a close relationship with known or suspected terrorists who are senior advisers in Hamas.”
On Wednesday, Suri’s wife, Mapeze Saleha, confirmed with Al Jazeera that she is a US citizen. Meanwhile, Ahmed Youssef, a former adviser who assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Hanie, confirmed to the New York Times that Suri was his son-in-law.
Youssef told the newspaper that he left his position on Hamas’ political wing more than a decade ago, publicly criticising the group’s decision to attack Israel on October 7, 2023.
Suri has largely refused the allegations against him, his lawyer, Hassan Ahmad, told us the media. His legal team, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), has filed a petition in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in search of his release.
He remained at the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detention Center in Louisiana on Thursday.
In a statement Wednesday, Georgetown University said community members support “a right to free and open deliberation and debate” even when fundamental ideas are difficult, controversial or unfavourable.
Meanwhile, the Alwaleed Center issued a passionate defense of Suri on Thursday, saying it was a victim of a “Trump administration campaign to destroy higher education in the United States and punish political enemies.”
“Direct threat to learning”
Suri and his wife Saleha were previously chosen by the “Campus Watch.” This is a project from the Middle East Forum “Review and Criticize Middle East Studies at North American Universities.”
Critics have accused the project of being a tool to silence criticism of Israel in higher education.
Meanwhile, Hashemi described Suri as “a very respected and serious scholar.”
“In many ways, [Suri] He was the exact opposite of Mahmoud Khalil in the sense that he was neither an organizer nor a leader. He was simply a researcher and a postdoc at our center,” Hashemmi said.
Meanwhile, Elgindi said the Trump administration continues to accept “dangerous confusion” when it comes to the complicated debate of Palestinian rights and resistance.
“The expression of solidarity with the Palestinians and criticism of Israel are per se anti-Semitic in and are viewed as essentially in favour of terrorism and Hamas,” he said.
Elgindi described the “real atmosphere of fear” when it comes to academic discussions about the complex reality that define the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“It really cuts into the heart of academic freedom. If people have to censor themselves, they’ll be afraid that students will ask certain questions, or raise certain points, or they’ll share it with some of these extremist groups that are recording and doxxing students,” he said.
“The intention is to chill the debate and make people guess again whether or not they should express a particular opinion.”
“Black attack”
On Thursday, House Rep. Don Bayer, who represents Northern Virginia, also placed emphasis on pickli’s detention, calling it a violation of the “die process” rights and a “blatant attack on the First Amendment,” referring to the US Constitution’s protections for free speech.
His statement provided a preview of the principles likely to be filed in federal court.
The Trump administration has taken a broad stand that these constitutional rights have not been extended to temporary visa holders or even permanent US residents.
However, the courts strongly support immigrants’ rights to enjoy freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and other fundamental freedoms.
Bayer called on the judge to give a prompt judgment on the pickpocket’s challenge to his impending deportation, pointing to “the administration’s track record of rejecting constitutional rights in a way that is difficult to reverse before judicial relief is provided.”
Earlier this week, my constituent, Badal Khan Suri, a postdoctoral researcher from Georgetown, was taken into custody outside Roslyn’s home. He is detained despite a clear violation of his constitutional rights, despite not being accused of a crime. He needs to be released. https://t.co/ptqvm0ys2k pic.twitter.com/apppvfuq0k
– March 20, 2025, Don Bayer (@RepdonBeyer)
Late Thursday, a federal judge banned the Trump administration from deporting pickpockets immediately. His lawyer told Reuters he was waiting for the date of a hearing in immigration court.
Meanwhile, both Hashemmi and Elgindy pointed out the need for the academic community to stand firm in Trump’s actions, acknowledging the challenged landscape educators and administrators face.
Beyond the risks to professors regarding temporary work visas, Trump has also pledged to cut federal funds to institutions that do not take sufficiently serious measures against protesters and “asgitators.”
His administration has already cut $400 million in Columbia University grants and contracts.
“I don’t think the worst has come yet,” Hashemi said. “Unless people get up and push them back.”
