A lawyer representing Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts University, filed an emergency motion on Thursday seeking her immediate release from detention. Ozturk was taken into custody by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and transferred to Louisiana, despite a court order prohibiting her removal from Massachusetts.
During a court hearing held in Boston on Thursday morning, District Judge Indira Talwani issued an order requiring the government to respond by Friday regarding the circumstances of Ozturk's detention. Talwani also mandated that Ozturk not be moved outside Massachusetts without giving the court a 48-hour notice. However, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of DHS, announced on Thursday that Ozturk was now being held at a detention center in Basile, Louisiana and had managed to communicate with her attorney.
Footage surfaced on social media showing the dramatic moment when US immigration officials detained Ozturk in Massachusetts. The video, captured by a nearby security camera, depicts her walking down the street when several masked agents approached her, forcibly taking her belongings and handcuffing her. A bystander, witnessing the incident, questioned, “Is this a kidnapping?” to which the agents responded, asserting their identity as police.
The abrupt transfer of Ozturk appears to contradict a federal court order issued on Tuesday, which explicitly required DHS and ICE to provide 48 hours' notice before any removal attempts from Massachusetts. In response to an emergency habeas corpus request, a federal judge has summoned DHS and ICE to explain Ozturk's detention in court.
This incident is part of a broader trend involving the detention of students engaged in pro-Palestinian activism on campuses, marking an escalation in anti-immigration crackdowns and restrictions on political speech under the previous administration. A DHS spokesperson commented that Ozturk had been “granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa,” but did not provide evidence for allegations of her supporting Hamas, the group implicated in recent violence in Gaza and Israel.
Ozturk, 30, is pursuing her doctorate in philosophy and is a Fulbright scholar at Tufts University. Following her detention, Tufts University President Sunil Kumar stated that the institution “had no prior knowledge of this incident” and did not provide any information to federal authorities beforehand. Kumar's letter indicated that the university seeks confirmation regarding the termination of Ozturk’s student visa.
On the day of her detention, Ozturk was reportedly on her way to break her Ramadan fast with friends when she was apprehended. Her attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai, has been unable to contact her, prompting the filing of an emergency motion to ensure Ozturk is produced before the court.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has condemned Ozturk’s detention, labeling it an “abduction” by masked federal agents and a direct attack on free speech and academic freedom. Reports indicate that Ozturk had actively participated in pro-Palestinian discussions at Tufts, including co-authoring an op-ed criticizing the university's stance on the conflict in Gaza.
Despite DHS claims, friends and colleagues of Ozturk maintain there is no evidence to support the allegations against her. Reyyan Bilge, a close friend, emphasized Ozturk’s peaceful nature, stating, “She does not carry a hateful bone in her body let alone being antisemitic.” Others have pointed out that her activism is limited to writing and organizing community events, such as a Thanksgiving potluck, rather than participating in protests.
As advocates rally for Ozturk’s release, a demonstration is planned for Wednesday evening to demand justice. This incident not only highlights the legal challenges faced by international students but also raises significant concerns regarding the treatment of activists and freedom of speech within academic settings.
