Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, of Turkey, has been accused of “glorifying and supporting” anti-Israel terrorism through her activism at the Massachusetts-based university.
A Muslim graduate student at Tufts University was taken into custody on Tuesday by federal immigration authorities. Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, of Turkey, has been accused of "glorifying and supporting" anti-Israel terrorism through her activism at the Massachusetts-based university, according to a spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Ozturk is currently being held at a federal detention center in Louisiana.
Video footage posted on X shows Ozturk being surrounded by at least six US Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents on a sidewalk in Somerville, MA. She was reportedly walking to the school's interfaith center to meet friends for dinner when she was captured by ICE. In the video, an agent is seen removing Ozturk's phone from her hands before they were placed behind her back and handcuffed. She has been in the country on an F-1 visa, which allows international students to pursue academic studies.
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View on XMassachusetts Attorney General Joy Campbell criticized the arrest on Wednesday, saying that her office was "closely monitoring this matter as it develops."
"Based on what we now know, it is alarming that the federal administration chose to ambush and detain her, apparently targeting a law-abiding individual because of her political views. This isn't public safety, it's intimidation that will, and should, be closely scrutinized in court," said Campbell.
According to the AP, Ozturk was targeted for co-authoring an op-ed in the Tufts Daily campus newspaper last year, demanding the university to divest from Israel and acknowledge the "Palestinian genocide." The extent of any alleged involvement in anti-Israel protests on campus is unclear.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News in a statement: "DHS and ICE investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans. A visa is a privilege, not a right. Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is commonsense security."
Ozturk's legal team has since demanded her release from custody. No charges have been filed against her.
"Rumeysa was heading to meet with friends to break her Ramadan fast on the evening of March 25 when she was detained near her home in Somerville, MA by DHS agents," Khanbabai Immigration Law told Fox News. "We are unaware of her whereabouts and have not been able to contact her."
University President Sunil Kumar criticized Ozturk's detainment in a statement issued on Thursday.
"We have recently learned and verified that Rumeysa Ozturk, the student who was detained by federal immigration authorities yesterday, is currently being held in Louisiana," Kumar said. "We recognize how frightening and distressing this situation is for her, her loved ones, and the larger community here at Tufts, especially our international students, staff, and faculty who may be feeling vulnerable or unsettled by these events."
Several foreign college students have been detained in recent weeks over their alleged support for anti-Israel terrorism, which comes as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration.
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