Trump Administration Seeks Supreme Court to Review Detention of Noncitizen in Case Implicating Free Speech

Nate Raymond for Reuters reports that the Trump's administration is seeking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision allowing the release of a Georgetown University scholar who had advocated for Palestinian rights and opposed Israel's war in Gaza.

Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University postdoctoral researcher on a J‑1 exchange visa, was detained by ICE in March 2025 under a rarely used provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) alleging he threatened U.S. foreign policy through social media posts and his wife’s Palestinian heritage. The Hoya+1. He was held for 58 days before a federal district court ordered his release on bond, finding the government likely violated his First Amendment rights. The Hoya+1. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed. Justia Law.

Earlier this week, the Department of Justice asked the high court to consider whether the U.S. immigration statute barred a lower-court judge from ordering the release of Suri.

Stay tuned.