The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has advised Indian students in the United States to comply with American laws following the recent detention of a postdoctoral fellow and the self-deportation of another student to Canada.
Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the two individuals had not sought assistance from Indian missions in the US. Badar Khan Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University in Washington DC, was detained by the Department of Homeland Security on Monday night on charges of “actively spreading Hamas propaganda.”
A US federal judge has temporarily blocked Suri’s deportation.
The development comes days after Ranjani Srinivasan, a doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University, voluntarily left the US for Canada. Her visa had been revoked on March 5 by the Department of State, with authorities alleging her involvement in activities supporting Hamas and advocating for violence and terrorism.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Srinivasan used the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home App to self-deport on March 11.
Jaiswal, speaking at the weekly media briefing on Friday, reiterated that visa and immigration decisions are the exclusive domain of individual countries.
“When it comes to visa and immigration policy, it is something that lies within the sovereign functions of a country. We expect that when foreign nationals come to India, they abide by our laws and regulations. Similarly, it is our expectation that when Indian nationals are abroad, they must also comply with local laws and regulations,” he said.
Addressing Suri’s case, Jaiswal noted, “We are given to understand through media reports that this particular individual has been detained. Neither the US government nor this individual has approached us or the embassy.”
Regarding Srinivasan, Jaiswal confirmed, “We only came to know of her departure from the US from media reports. We understand that she has gone to Canada.”
Jaiswal highlighted that a number of Indian students pursue higher education in the US and emphasised India’s intent to strengthen educational ties with the country. “The knowledge partnership and participation of our students in US universities is an important element in our relationship, and we want to foster these ties further,” he said.
The Indian embassy and consulates in the US remain available to assist students facing any difficulties, the spokesperson added.
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