Tufts Student Detained After Visa Revoked Over Hamas Ties \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ A Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University was detained by ICE and relocated to Louisiana despite a federal judge’s order to keep her in Massachusetts. The student, Rumeysa Ozturk, is accused by DHS of supporting Hamas, though no evidence has been provided publicly. Her attorneys say her rights were violated, while rallies supporting her continue in Boston.
Tufts Student Detention Quick Looks
- Student Identified: Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, doctoral student at Tufts University from Turkey.
- Detained by ICE: Picked up in Somerville, Massachusetts on March 25, flown to Louisiana March 26.
- Court Conflict: Federal judge in Boston ordered she remain in Massachusetts, but she was already moved.
- Government’s Argument: DOJ says court lacks jurisdiction—case should be handled in Louisiana or immigration court.
- Visa Revoked: DHS claims she supported Hamas; no public evidence provided.
- Civil Rights Claim: Lawyers allege violations of Ozturk’s free speech and due process rights.
- Campus & Community Response: Rallies at Tufts and across Boston call for her release.
- Background: Ozturk co-authored a 2023 op-ed supporting Palestinian rights during Gaza conflict.
Deep Look
A doctoral student at Tufts University, Rumeysa Ozturk, has become the focus of a high-profile legal and political battle after being detained by U.S. immigration authorities and moved out of Massachusetts—despite a federal judge’s order for her to remain in the state.
Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish national, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 25 while walking in Somerville, a city near Boston. By the next day, she had been transferred to an ICE detention center in Basile, Louisiana, after reportedly being placed on a flight out of the region. Her attorneys were unaware of her relocation at the time a federal court issued an order that she should not be removed from Massachusetts.
The Department of Justice later informed the court that there was no available detention space in New England, prompting the transfer. Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, who was reviewing a legal challenge filed on Ozturk’s behalf, had issued an emergency order on March 28, barring her removal from the United States “until further order of this court.”
By the time that order was issued, Ozturk had already been relocated.
The U.S. government is now arguing that Judge Casper lacks jurisdiction over the matter, claiming that any legal petition on Ozturk’s behalf must be filed in the jurisdiction where she is being held—currently in Louisiana. In a filing made Tuesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Sauter requested that the case either be dismissed or transferred to Louisiana, stating that challenges to visa revocations or detentions must be made in immigration court, not federal district court.
“Ms. Ozturk is not without recourse to challenge the revocation of her visa and her arrest and detention, but such challenge cannot be made before this court,” Sauter wrote. According to court filings, she is scheduled to appear before an immigration judge on April 7 in Louisiana.
Ozturk’s lawyers have until Wednesday afternoon to respond to the government’s argument. They argue that her detention violates constitutional rights, including free speech and due process, and have asked the judge to compel her immediate return to Massachusetts and release from custody.
Support for Ozturk has grown across the Tufts campus and in Boston. Rallies were held on Tuesday, and more demonstrations were planned for Wednesday, as her supporters push for transparency and accountability in her detention.
The controversy stems in part from Ozturk’s public support for Palestinian rights. She is one of several students or academics who have recently had visas revoked or faced travel restrictions amid heightened political scrutiny surrounding the Israel-Gaza conflict.
In a statement released last week, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson confirmed that Ozturk’s visa had been revoked, citing alleged engagement in activities supporting Hamas, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government. However, the government has not publicly disclosed any specific evidence of these claims, nor have formal criminal charges been filed.
Ozturk had previously co-authored a 2023 op-ed in The Tufts Daily alongside three other students, criticizing Tufts University’s response to calls from the student body demanding the school acknowledge what they termed the “Palestinian genocide” and take financial action by divesting from companies linked to Israel. Friends and fellow students say that while Ozturk was vocal in her beliefs, she was not closely involved in direct actions or protests on campus.
The situation has caught the attention of national political figures. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, responding to a question about Ozturk last week, remarked, “We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist, to tear up our university campuses.”
The political and legal fallout continues to grow amid the broader backdrop of the Israel-Gaza war, which began after a Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians. In response, Israel launched a prolonged military campaign in Gaza, resulting in over 50,000 deaths, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and large-scale devastation across the region.
Ozturk’s case now raises broader questions about free expression, academic freedom, and the limits of U.S. immigration enforcement during times of heightened geopolitical tension.
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