Ozturk’s detention reportedly follows a campaign by Canary Mission, a pro-Israel website that blacklists pro-Palestine students and activists.
Six masked US immigration agents arrested a Turkish doctoral student on a street near her home in Massachusetts on Tuesday evening.
In a now-viral video capturing her arrest, Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, is seen being approached by the agents who then proceed to handcuff and arrest her, placing her in a vehicle parked nearby.
MPAC: @mpac_national demands the immediate release of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts student and F-1 visa holder abducted by DHS agents with no charges—on her way to an Iftar. pic.twitter.com/kyu8hFxrfk
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) March 27, 2025
Ozturk, who “was maintaining valid F-1 status as a PhD student at Tufts University” was heading to meet with friends to break her Ramadan fast when she was detained near her home in Somerville, MA by DHS (Department of Homeland Security) agents,” her attorney Mahsa Khanbabai said in a statement.
No Contact
Khanbabai said she was unaware of her whereabouts and had not been able to contact her.
She noted that a “habeas petition” was filed requesting that Ozturk “not be moved out of the District of MA which was granted by Judge Talwani last night.”
URGENT: MPAC demands the immediate release of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts student and F-1 visa holder abducted by DHS agents with no charges—on her way to an Iftar.
This is a chilling violation of civil liberties during Ramadan.
Speak out. Call your Reps. #freerumeysa pic.twitter.com/qqLKJOhCVL
— MPAC (@mpac_national) March 26, 2025
However, by Wednesday afternoon, Khanbabai was informed that Ozturk was being held at a US Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Louisiana, and subsequently requested permission to speak with her.
Pro-Hamas ‘Activities’
US Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin in a X post on Thursday said “DHS + ICE investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organisation that relishes the killing of Americans”.
She said Ozturk was “granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa,” adding “A visa is a privilege not a right.”
Rumesya Ozturk is a Turkish national & Tufts University graduate student, granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa.
DHS + ICE investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of… pic.twitter.com/3sBE6yO8db
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) March 26, 2025
McLaughlin went on to say that “Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated.”
Blacklisting
Ozturk’s detention reportedly follows a campaign by Canary Mission, a pro-Israel website that blacklists pro-Palestine students and activists.
So, Canary Mission’s only accusation against Runeysa Ozturk is that she co-authored an op-ed urging Tufts University to divest from Israel—yet the Trump administration sent masked federal agents to detain and deport her? Unbelievable.
So, Canary Mission’s only accusation against Runeysa Ozturk is that she co-authored an op-ed urging Tufts University to divest from Israel—yet the Trump administration sent masked federal agents to detain and deport her? Unbelievable. https://t.co/AnIsxrtCmy pic.twitter.com/flgaQQPRir
— paris (@rejetamericain) March 26, 2025
In 2024, Ozturk co-authored an op-ed in Tuft University’s newspaper, The Tufts Daily, urging the school to acknowledge what she described as the Palestinian genocide and to divest from companies with ties to Israel.
Protest
The Turkish Embassy in Washington, DC said on Wednesday that it was closely monitoring the detention of Ozturk, and has contacted the US State Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other authorities.
“The situation of our citizen Rumeysa Oztürk, who was detained in Boston, USA, is being closely monitored, and her family is regularly informed,” the statement said. “Every effort is being made to provide the necessary consular services and legal assistance to protect the rights of our citizen.”
HAPPENING NOW: Thousands of protestors call for the release of Rumeysa Ozturk in Somerville, MA. The Tufts grad student was abducted by ICE last night after publishing an article that was critical of Israel and supportive of BDS. pic.twitter.com/r1577etZJz
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) March 26, 2025
On Wednesday evening, thousands of demonstrators gathered near Tufts University in support of Ozturk and demanded her release.
University had ‘No Pre-knowledge’
The Fullbright scholar’s detention follows the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and lawful permanent resident, as well as Georgetown University researcher Badar Khan Suri, in a similar manner.
Tufts University, in an email to students, reportedly said the school received reports of an international graduate student being taken into custody by federal authorities, without disclosing a name.
“The university had no pre-knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities prior to the event,” the university’s President Sunil Kumar said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
Ozturk reportedly remains listed in the ICE database as “in custody.”
(PC, Anadolu)
Dondolf Twitler did this. This is what your vote did to our America. There is no freedom. Democracy is a false flag.
And, Joseph Potato Biden protected Hamas, are the Jack Boots going to kidnap him next? Nope. Netanyahu colluded with Hamas in 2006, will he be arrested? No way.
My America died July 24, 2024 when my Congress gave over 50 standing ovations to the Nazi, the baby-killer who stole Palestine, Nazinyahu. Our government is now overtly terrorist and is literally kidnapping and disappearing its own citizens. And did they bring her to a
” Black Site ” ?
It is Fatah, not Hamas, that colluded with the Zionist entity and they still are. After Hamas won the election in 2006, there was a bloody fighting between the two factions following their failure to form a joint government. When Hamas took over Gaza and expeled Fatah officials, the latter, backed by the PA, asked for the zionists’ help to fight Hamas. The zionist entity, after consulting the US, refrained from doing so, for Hamas’ rule would be a perfect pretext for attacking Gaza whenever they see fit. Fatah and the PA are essentially traitors.