A Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University has been detained by U.S. immigration authorities, her visa revoked after she voiced support for Palestinians during Israel’s war in Gaza, her lawyer said.
Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was arrested by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents Tuesday night while on her way to break her Ramadan fast with friends in Somerville, Massachusetts. Her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, filed a petition in Boston federal court challenging the detention.
Ozturk’s arrest marks the first known immigration detention of a Boston-area student involved in pro-Palestinian activism under President Donald Trump’s administration. Several foreign-born students legally residing in the U.S. have faced similar actions for their participation in such protests.
Critics have condemned these detentions as attacks on free speech, while the Trump administration argues that some protests promote anti-Semitism and threaten U.S. foreign policy.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated in a post on X that authorities determined Ozturk had “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,” McLaughlin added.
The case has sparked protests in Somerville, with hundreds gathering to demand Ozturk’s release.