Trump Administration Wants Jailed Indian’s Case Moved To Conservative Texas Court

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump administration is seeking to move the case of Badar Khan Suri—an Indian scholar and Georgetown University researcher—from Virginia to Texas, where he is currently being held in immigration detention. The move is part of an escalating legal fight over jurisdiction, with Suri’s lawyers accusing the government of “forum shopping” to secure a more favorable ruling in a conservative court.

Suri, an Indian citizen studying and living in Virginia, was detained in March by Department of Homeland Security agents. Since then, he has been shuffled through five different detention centers across three states, ultimately landing in Texas. His attorneys argue the government deliberately concealed these transfers to sideline Virginia courts and hinder his legal defense.

“This was a calculated move to strip him of due process,” said Vishal Agraharkar of the ACLU of Virginia, one of several organizations representing Suri. “The government took prohibitive steps to keep him and his counsel in the dark.”

At the core of the case are so far only vague allegations from the State Department, which claims Suri’s activities pose a threat to U.S. foreign policy. But neither the government nor DHS has presented clear evidence to support the claim, and Georgetown University has said it is unaware of any misconduct on Suri’s part.

Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh is a U.S. citizen of Palestinian origin and a graduate student at Georgetown. Media reports and legal filings suggest her background may have influenced DHS’s actions. Saleh has an academi degree from New Delhi and is described in her Georgetown bio as a scholar of conflict and peacebuilding.

In February, the Israeli embassy alleged that Saleh is the daughter of a senior Hamas adviser—an accusation the ACLU has called baseless and politically motivated.

Suri’s legal team is pushing for the case to be returned to Virginia, arguing that is where he lived, worked, and was detained. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA), whose district includes Suri’s residence, has voiced concern and attended a recent hearing.

Meanwhile, protests and vigils continue at Georgetown University with supporters demanding transparency and due process for Suri.