US immigration authorities detained Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, on Tuesday night, revoking her visa due to her vocal support for Palestinians during the ongoing Gaza aggression.

 

Ozturk, a Fulbright Scholar, was arrested near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts, as she was heading to meet friends to break her Ramadan fast.

 

Ozturk’s supporters argue that her detention is the first known arrest of a Boston-area student involved in pro-Palestinian activism under the Trump administration.

 

Immigration officials have stated that Ozturk was engaged in activities supporting Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization, although they have not specified which activities. The arrest followed a 2022 opinion piece Ozturk co-authored for Tufts' student paper, which criticized the university's stance on Palestinian rights and divestment from companies linked to 'Israel'.

 

Ozturk’s lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, filed a lawsuit arguing that her client was unlawfully detained. US District Judge Indira Talwani ordered US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) not to move Ozturk out of Massachusetts without at least 48 hours' notice.

 

However, despite the court order, Ozturk was transferred to Louisiana, prompting further legal action. Khanbabai criticized the actions of ICE, calling the detention "baseless" and an alarming violation of Ozturk’s rights.

 

The detention has sparked protests and condemnation from civil liberties groups, as well as Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who described the arrest as part of a broader trend of stifling free speech and civil liberties.

 

Neighbors of Ozturk expressed shock at the arrest, with one describing it as "looking like a kidnapping" when masked agents in unmarked vehicles took her into custody.

 

This arrest is part of a broader crackdown by the Trump administration targeting international students and activists involved in pro-Palestinian protests. Similar detentions have occurred across the US, including Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate, and a South Korean-born student at Columbia, both accused of supporting Hamas. The administration has also faced criticism for conflating support for Palestinian rights with antisemitism and Hamas support.

 

In the wake of Ozturk's arrest, the Turkish embassy in Washington confirmed it was in touch with U.S. authorities to ensure consular support. Tufts University President Sunil Kumar expressed concern over the arrest, acknowledging the distress it may cause to international students at the university.

 

The Trump administration's actions against foreign-born students have raised concerns about the erosion of free speech and civil liberties, particularly in relation to activism surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.