The administration of Donald Trump, the former President of the United States, has submitted a request to the Supreme Court of the country, seeking to overturn a decision that resulted in the release of Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University researcher. Khan Suri was detained for supporting Palestinian rights and criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza.
Details of the Administration's Request
The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday requested the Supreme Court to examine whether federal immigration laws prevent a lower court judge from issuing an order for Khan Suri's release. Khan Suri had claimed that his detention violated his legal rights and freedom of speech under the U.S. Constitution.
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This Indian citizen was detained by immigration officials in March 2025, while the Trump administration was seeking to detain and deport foreign nationals participating in pro-Palestinian activities at universities. After his detention, Khan Suri was transferred to Texas and was released in May 2025 by order of a district court judge. The judge concluded that Khan Suri could likely prove that his detention was due to his criticisms of the government and support for Palestinian rights.
Trump Administration's Position and Consequences
The Trump administration has argued that the judge should not have intervened in this matter. A 2-1 panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals based in Richmond, Virginia, ruled in July regarding Khan Suri's case that nothing prevents a judge from addressing challenges related to unlawful detentions, even if the matter pertains to deportation proceedings in immigration courts.
D. John Sayer, the Attorney General, argued in his request on Monday that the Fourth Circuit's ruling was incorrect and could disrupt the enforcement of immigration laws at the national level. He wrote, "This issue is practically catastrophic." Sayer pointed out that another appellate court earlier this year reached a contrary conclusion and overturned a ruling that led to the release of another pro-Palestinian activist, Mahmoud Khalil, from Columbia University.
Khalil's lawyers have stated that they intend to take this decision to the Supreme Court. In his request, Sayer also emphasized that judges should review both Khan Suri's case and Khalil's case to resolve this issue definitively.
Khan Suri's lawyers have not yet responded to the request for comment. Khan Suri is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University and was living in Virginia with his wife, who is a U.S. citizen, at the time of his detention.
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