27.03.2025 01:01
Rümeysa Öztürk, a PhD student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, was detained by ICE officials while she was out for iftar.
A Turkish student, Rümeysa Öztürk, who is pursuing her PhD at Tufts University in Massachusetts, USA, was reported to have been detained by officers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) near her home last night.
Öztürk, who is in her final year of PhD studies at Tufts University, was stopped by plainclothes ICE officers as she left her home in Somerville to go for iftar last night.
SIX OFFICERS WITH MASKED FACES DETAINED HER
Security camera footage shared on social media showed six officers, some with masked faces, surrounding Öztürk and trying to forcibly take her phone from her hand.
As ICE officers detained the Turkish student by handcuffing her hands behind her back, Öztürk's vocal objections were captured on camera.
While Öztürk continues to be listed as "detained" in the ICE database, no statement has been made by ICE officials regarding her detention.
STATEMENT FROM ÖZTÜRK'S LAWYER
Öztürk's lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, stated in a written statement, "Rümeysa Öztürk is a Turkish citizen maintaining a valid F-1 status as a PhD student at Tufts University. She was detained by DHS agents near her home in Somerville, MA, while on her way to meet friends for iftar on the evening of March 25."
Khanbabai noted that she does not know where Öztürk is and has been unable to reach her, emphasizing that "no charges have been made against her so far."
Additionally, a written statement from Tufts University indicated that the university administration had not been notified in any way regarding the detention process.
FRIENDS SPOKE OUT
Öztürk's Turkish friends studying at the same university stated in their announcement that they have been unable to reach Öztürk after her detention, but she managed to call her family before being taken into custody. Concerned Turkish students reported that the Canary Mission website, which "tracks those who support Palestinian demonstrations" at US universities, had previously published Öztürk's personal information along with an image of an article she wrote on the subject last year.
Meanwhile, a group of Palestinian supporters in Boston announced that they would hold a demonstration today to demand Rümeysa Öztürk's release.
US SENATOR REACTED
US Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren stated in a social media post that Rümeysa Öztürk's detention is "the latest example of a disturbing pattern aimed at suppressing civil liberties."
Warren criticized President Donald Trump and his administration for the recent detentions of those supporting pro-Palestinian demonstrators at universities, stating, "The Trump administration is targeting students with legal status and tearing people away from their communities without due process." She expressed that this is "an attack on the fundamental freedoms outlined in the US Constitution."
PRESSURE CONTINUES ON THOSE SUPPORTING PALESTINE
Öztürk's detention occurred during a period when the Trump administration has been exerting pressure on pro-Palestinian students and academics.
Previously, Palestinian activist Mahmud Halil, who recently graduated from Columbia University, had also been detained. Georgetown University researcher Badar Han Suri was also sought to be deported on charges of "Hamas propaganda and antisemitism," but US Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles had halted that decision.