US immigration authorities arrested and revoked a visa for a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University near Boston, which expressed support for Palestinians during the Israeli war in Gaza.
Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, left home in Summerville on Tuesday night and met friends when he was arrested by a Department of Homeland Security agents and quickly smashed Ramadan, lawyer Mahsa Khanbabai said in a petition filed in federal court in Boston.
Oztulk supporters say her detention was the first known immigrant arrest of a Boston area student engaged in such activities under President Donald Trump.
His administration attempted to detain or detain foreign-born students legally in the United States.
The Trump administration has argued that certain protests are anti-Semitic and could undermine US foreign policy, but actions have been accused of assault on free speech.
In a post from X, authorities determined that Ozturk is “engaged in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that enjoys the murder of Americans.”
“Visa is a privilege, not a right,” McLaughlin said.
Rumesya Ozturk is a graduate student at the National & Tufts University of Turkey, and has recognised the privilege of being in this country on a visa.
A DHS + ICE investigation found that Ozturk is engaged in activities to support Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that enjoys the murder of …pic.twitter.com/3Sbe6yo8db.
– Tricia McLaughlin (@triciaohio) March 26, 2025
She did not specify any activities. But Ozturk’s arrest came a year after the students co-authored their opinions on Tufts Daily, a student thesis at the school. This criticized the response of Tufts by students to leave companies with Israeli ties with “accepting the Palestinian genocide.”
“It appears that she exercised her right to free speech based on the patterns we see across the country,” Kambabai said.
“It looked like a temptation.”
After Ozturk’s arrest, Kanbai filed a lawsuit late Tuesday, alleging she was in illegal detention, and urged Boston District Judge Indira Talwani that night to order US immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to not move Oztuto from Massachusetts without notice for at least 48 hours.
Despite the judge’s order, by Wednesday afternoon, Kambabai said she had not been able to find a client in New England and was only informed by the US Senator’s office that Ozturk had been moved to Louisiana. She sought a court order requesting the ice to grant access to Ozturk.
The student detention was condemned by Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Her supportive rally was expected in the second half of Wednesday in Somerville.
Neighbors said the arrest left him rattled.
“It looked like an invitation,” said Michael Matisse, a 32-year-old software engineer who picked up footage of the arrest by surveillance cameras. “They approach her and start grabbing her by covering her face. They’re covering their face. They’re in an unmarked vehicle.”
The Trump administration is targeting international students trying to crack down on immigrants, including increasing arrests for immigrants and significantly limiting border crossings.
In particular, President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have pledged to deport foreign pro-Palestinian protesters, support Hamas militants, raise hurdles to US foreign policy and accusing them of being anti-Semitic.
Protesters, including several Jewish groups, say the administration is mistakenly blending their criticism of Israel and support for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism and support for Hamas.
Targeting university students
According to her LinkedIn profile, Ozturk is a doctoral Fulbright academic and student for Tufts’ child research and human development, previously studying at Columbia University in New York.
She was in the country on an F-1 visa. This allows students to live in the United States while studying, according to the lawsuit.
In a statement, Tufts President Sunil Kumar said the school had no prior knowledge of the arrests, but he said that he “is suffering from some of our community, especially members of the international community.”
Oztaak was taken into custody less than three weeks after Columbia University graduate and legal permanent resident Mahmoud Khalil was similarly arrested. He is challenging his custody after accusing Trump of supporting Hamas without evidence.
Federal immigration officials are also trying to detain a South Korean-born Columbia University student who is a legal permanent resident and is taking part in a Palestinian protest blocked by current courts.
This month, a Lebanese doctor and assistant professor at Brown University in Rhode Island was denied re-entry into the United States and was deported to Lebanon after the Trump administration alleged her phone included “sympathetic” photos to Hezbollah. Rasha Alawieh said she does not support the group but respects the leader who was murdered for her religion.
The Trump administration is also targeting students at Cornell University in New York and Georgetown University in Washington.
