Dear SFS Faculty and Staff,
I’m writing to let you know that a Post-Doctoral Fellow in SFS, Dr. Badar Khan Suri, who is an Indian national, has been detained by the Department of Homeland Security and his legal work authorization has been revoked.
Dr. Suri was granted a visa to enter the United States to continue his doctoral research on peacebuilding in Iraq and Afghanistan at the Center for Muslim Christian Understanding. During his time at Georgetown, he has taught a class on conflict resolution in South Asia.
During his time on campus, I am not aware that Dr. Suri has engaged in any illegal activity, nor has he posed a threat to the security of our campus. He has been focused on completing his research.
Like many in our community, Dr. Suri has been exercising his constitutionally protected rights to express his views on the war in the Middle East. Georgetown has consistently protected such freedoms within the context of our longstanding Speech and Expression Policy.
Dr. Suri is being held in detention outside the DC jurisdiction pending a hearing on his case. We are in close communication with the family to determine how best to support them at this difficult time. As we learn more about the case, the University will determine what additional steps it can take, keeping in mind their impact on our international community. The University is complying with all federal requirements.
We have informed Dr. Suri’s family about options for legal counsel, and counsel has already filed a writ of habeas corpus on his behalf. According to the court filing, he is being detained under a statute that gives certain powers to revoke visas to the Secretary of State on the grounds of “potentially serious adverse foreign consequences for the United States.”
As an individual, I am deeply concerned for the welfare of a member of our community and his family. As Dean, I am deeply troubled by the chilling effect such events could have on freedom of expression on this campus, which is, of course, at the very core of our mission. Our commitment to fostering open inquiry, deliberation and debate has not always made for a comfortable campus, but I believe that time has shown that it has played a key role in maintaining our University values. This has allowed SFS to stay true to its commitment to promote diplomacy and understanding in an increasingly polarized world.
We expect that the legal system will adjudicate this case fairly.
Best regards,
Joel Hellman
