Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was “ambushed” by federal immigration officers near her off-campus residence in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Tuesday.
She is a human rights activist and scholar. She co-wrote an op-ed in the student newspaper at Tufts criticizing the university’s policy on divesting from Israel-associated companies. Her previous professor at Istanbul Sehir University, Fatima Tuba Yaylaci, said that she was “a compassionate scholar committed to human rights” who “wouldn’t hurt a soul,” reported Firstpost.
Ozturk’s arrest has raised widespread outrage, with civil rights groups and legal analysts questioning the legal basis for her detention.
Why was Rumeysa Ozturk arrested?
Ozturk, who is Muslim, was heading out to break her Ramadan fast with friends Tuesday night when she was detained by agents from the Department of Homeland Security near her apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts, Khanbabai said.
Federal immigration agents arrested Ozturk outside her off-campus apartment. She was in possession of a valid student visa when she was arrested, according to her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai.
Nevertheless, plainclothes Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents physically restrained and handcuffed her without an immediate reason.
Surveillance footage captured the moments before her arrest. In the video, a casually dressed man waves at her before stepping in her path. As Ozturk attempts to move past him, he blocks her again, engages her in a brief exchange, and suddenly grabs her hands. She screams, “What’s going on?” before other agents move in to restrain her and place her in an unmarked SUV.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell described the video as “disturbing,” saying, “It is troubling that the federal administration decided to ambush and arrest her seemingly targeting a law-abiding citizen due to her political opinions.”
Allegations against Ozturk
A statement attributed to a senior spokesperson for Homeland Security claimed Wednesday that Ozturk had “engaged in activities in support of” Hamas considered “grounds for visa issuance to be terminated.”
A spokesman from DHS explained the visa cancellation had “grounds for removal,” but no official charges have been filed, and no public information has been introduced to support the claims.
Her lawyers filed a writ in the Federal District Court of Massachusetts against her detention. An order was given by Judge Indira Talwani prohibiting the government from extraditing her outside the state prior to notice. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) records stated that Ozturk was transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center before the court directive became effective.
“Like all the other immigration cases related to international students and activists who have spoken up about the atrocities in Palestine, the government throws around wild accusations but provides no evidence,” said Khanbabai. “We hope Rumeysa will be released immediately.”
University and civil rights responses
Tufts University denied any advance knowledge of the arrest. In a letter to students, the university president, Sunil Kumar, wrote, “We did not share any information with federal authorities prior to the event, and the location where this took place is not affiliated with Tufts University.” He added, “From what we have been told subsequently, the student’s visa status has been terminated, and we seek to confirm whether that information is true.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Massachusetts chapter denounced the arrest. Legal director Jessie Rossman said, “Nobody should be disappeared from the streets of Somerville — or anywhere in America.”
Ozturk’s arrest is one of a series of immigration enforcement actions targeting international students who have ties to pro-Palestinian activism. A right-wing watchdog organization, Canary Mission, which has been accused of doxxing pro-Palestinian activists, made claims that Ozturk participated in anti-Israel activism in March 2024.
Protests and demands for release
Protests calling for Ozturk’s release have intensified, with an emergency rally taking place at Powder House Square in Somerville. Supporters, civil rights organizations, and fellow students are demanding her immediate release and an open review of the legal grounds for her arrest.
