Turkish Student Arrested by Masked US Agents for Allegedly Supporting Hamas | US News
Authorities in the US have detained a Turkish student and revoked her visa, alleging her support of Hamas.
Video footage captured masked and plainclothes officers apprehending 30-year-old Rumeysa Ozturk close to her residence in Somerville, Massachusetts.
The doctoral student at Tufts University, located near Boston, had expressed her support for Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
A spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Tricia McLaughlin, stated in a post on X that investigations by DHS and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) found that the Turkish national had “engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that celebrates the killing of Americans”.
“A visa is a privilege, not a right,” she emphasized.
“Praising and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is a valid reason for visa revocation,” she concluded, offering no additional details.
Mahsa Khanbabai, Ozturk’s lawyer, stated in a petition filed in a federal court in Boston that Ozturk, who is a Muslim, was with friends for iftar, the meal breaking the fast during Ramadan, when she was detained on Tuesday night.
Khanbabai expressed concern for her client, saying: “We are unaware of her location and unable to reach her.”
She remarked that, to their knowledge, no charges had been filed against Ozturk.
Ozturk was among four students who authored an article in a campus newspaper last March criticizing Tufts’ response to Israel’s actions against Hamas and the assaults on Gaza.
Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student, was arrested following a DHS and ICE investigation. Pic: AP
A DHS spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that Ozturk was being held in Louisiana – despite a ruling requiring 48 hours’ notice before moving her out of the District of Massachusetts – and that her student visa was terminated.
This incident follows the recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, who has had a US permanent residency green card since 2024 and faced arrest and potential deportation earlier this month.
Six agents present were seen concealing their faces. Pic: AP
‘It looked like a kidnapping’
Video captured during the arrest showed six individuals with covered faces approach Ozturk around 5:30 PM on Tuesday and take her phone.
The student can be heard shouting as she is being handcuffed, while one individual claims, “We’re the police.”
A bystander asks the six, “Why are you hiding your faces?” as DHS agents lead her away.
Michael Mathis, a 32-year-old software engineer whose surveillance camera recorded the incident, told the Associated Press that “it looked like a kidnapping”.
He remarked: “They approached her and started grabbing her with their faces covered. They were in unmarked vehicles.”
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Hundreds gathered on Wednesday to demonstrate against the student’s arrest. Pic: AP
On Wednesday, hundreds protested, calling for her release and condemning both Republican and Democratic leaders for failing to protect immigrants and advocate for Palestinians.
“If you’ve seen the video clip, it’s unimaginable,” said Reyyan Bilge, a friend of Ozturk.
“She is walking alone as a young innocent woman, with no connection to any of the allegations… or claims [of antisemitism against students] that have surfaced.
“There is no justification for this. Far from being discriminatory or racist, she is an entirely kind and decent person.”
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Friend reacts after student detained by ICE
Sunil Kumar, president of Tufts University, stated that the institution “had no prior knowledge of this incident and did not disclose any information to federal authorities before it occurred”.
As of Wednesday evening, the ICE’s online detainee locator indicated that Ozturk was being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile.
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Ozturk’s article followed a resolution passed by the Tufts community union demanding the university “recognize the Palestinian genocide”, provide details of its investments, and withdraw funds from corporations with direct or indirect links to Israel.
Friends informed the Associated Press that Ozturk was not deeply engaged in pro-Palestinian demonstrations; however, after the article’s publication, her name, photo, and professional history were highlighted by Canary Mission.
This website claims to catalog individuals who “foster hatred towards the USA, Israel, and Jews on North American college campuses”.
Following her detention, the Turkish Embassy in Washington announced it was maintaining regular communication with the student’s family, closely monitoring the situation, and engaged in “initiatives” with the State Department and ICE.
