The Trump administration detains Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk at Tufts
Federal agents have taken a Tufts University doctoral student into custody without providing any explanation, according to her lawyer.
U.S. immigration authorities have arrested and revoked the visa of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University near Boston, after she voiced support for Palestinians during Israel’s war in Gaza.
Ozturk, 30, was on her way to meet friends for iftar on Tuesday night when she was taken into custody by Department of Homeland Security agents, according to her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai. In a petition filed in Boston federal court, Khanbabai stated that Ozturk’s detention marks the first known immigration-related arrest of a Boston-area student engaged in pro-Palestinian activism under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Trump administration has previously detained or attempted to detain several foreign-born students legally residing in the U.S. who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. These actions have been widely criticized as an attack on free speech, though the administration argues that some protests are anti-Semitic and could undermine U.S. foreign policy.
Accusations and Government Justification
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed in a post on X that Ozturk had engaged in activities supporting Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. “A visa is a privilege, not a right,” McLaughlin stated, without specifying what actions led to Ozturk’s arrest.
Her detention occurred a year after she co-authored an opinion piece in Tufts Daily, the university’s student newspaper, criticizing Tufts’ stance on calls for divestment from companies with ties to Israel and urging the school to acknowledge what she termed the “Palestinian genocide.”
Attorney Khanbabai suggested that Ozturk’s detention appeared to be linked to her political speech. “Based on patterns we are seeing across the country, her exercising her free speech rights appears to have played a role in her detention,” she said.
Legal Battle Over Detention
Following Ozturk’s arrest, Khanbabai filed a lawsuit arguing that her detention was unlawful. In response, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued an order preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from relocating Ozturk outside Massachusetts without at least 48 hours’ notice.
However, by Wednesday afternoon, Khanbabai stated in a legal motion that she was unable to locate her client in New England and had been informed by a U.S. senator’s office that Ozturk had been transferred to Louisiana. She has since sought a court order to gain access to her client.
The student’s detention has drawn condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, including U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who called the arrest “the latest in an alarming pattern to stifle civil liberties.” A rally in support of Ozturk was planned for later Wednesday in Somerville.
Residents who witnessed the arrest described it as unsettling. Michael Mathis, a 32-year-old software engineer, said his surveillance camera captured the incident, which occurred around 5:30 p.m. “It looked like a kidnapping,” Mathis said. “They approached her, grabbed her, and had their faces covered. They were in unmarked vehicles.”
Broader Crackdown on International Students
The Trump administration has intensified immigration enforcement, targeting international students as part of its broader crackdown. The administration, particularly Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has pledged to deport foreign students who participate in pro-Palestinian protests, accusing them of supporting Hamas and disrupting U.S. foreign policy.
Protesters, including Jewish advocacy groups, argue that the administration is conflating criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and terrorism allegations.
Ozturk, a Fulbright Scholar, is enrolled in Tufts’ doctoral program for child study and human development and previously attended Columbia University. She has been residing in the U.S. on an F-1 student visa. Tufts President Sunil Kumar stated that the university had no prior knowledge of her arrest and acknowledged the distress it may have caused members of the international student community.
Ozturk’s detention follows the recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and lawful permanent resident, whom Trump accused—without evidence—of supporting Hamas. Khalil denies the allegations and is contesting his detention in court.
Federal immigration authorities are also seeking to detain a South Korean-born Columbia University student, a legal permanent U.S. resident, for participating in pro-Palestinian protests. The courts have temporarily blocked his removal.
In another case, a Lebanese doctor and assistant professor at Brown University was recently denied re-entry to the U.S. and deported to Lebanon after the Trump administration claimed her phone contained images sympathetic to Hezbollah. Rasha Alawieh denied supporting the group but stated that her religious beliefs led her to regard its slain leader with respect.
The Trump administration has also taken action against students at Cornell University in New York and Georgetown University in Washington, further intensifying concerns about government efforts to suppress student activism.
