Turkish student detained by U.S. Authorities in Immigration Crackdown

A Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University has been detained by U.S. immigration authorities in what appears to be part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants expressing political views related to Palestine.

Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was ambushed and arrested by federal agents Tuesday as she walked in Somerville, a suburb of Boston. By the time her lawyer attempted to intervene in court, she had already been transferred to an ICE detention facility in Basile, Louisiana, government lawyers confirmed in a court filing Thursday.

Authorities claim Ozturk’s visa was revoked following an investigation that allegedly linked her to “activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans,” according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson. However, DHS has not provided evidence supporting this claim.

Friends and colleagues refute the allegations, saying Ozturk was not actively involved in campus protests but had co-authored a student newspaper op-ed calling for Tufts to review its ties with Israel. “The only thing I know of that Rumeysa organized was a Thanksgiving potluck,” said Jennifer Hoyden, a close friend and former classmate.

Ozturk’s detainment has sparked widespread outrage, with hundreds gathering in Somerville on Wednesday night to demand her release. “The U.S. government is deliberately trying to target our movement and scare us into silence. But we will not be silenced,” said Lea Kayali of the Palestinian Youth Movement.

The Tufts University administration has expressed concern over her detention. “We are in touch with local, state, and federal elected officials and hope that Rumeysa is provided the opportunity to avail herself of her due process rights,” university president Sunil Kumar stated.

Ozturk’s arrest comes amid a broader immigration crackdown, with other students, including a University of Alabama doctoral candidate, also reportedly detained. The case has heightened tensions over free speech and political expression, with legal experts questioning whether the government is unfairly targeting pro-Palestinian voices under the pretext of national security.