Who is Rumeysa Ozturk? Out to break Ramadan quick, Turkish student arrested by US federal agents for allegedly supporting Hamas

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, was taken into custody by ICE agents close to her dwelling on Tuesday. (X)

Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was “ambushed” by federal immigration officers close to her off-campus residence in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Tuesday.
She is a human rights activist and scholar. She co-wrote an op-ed within the student newspaper at Tufts criticizing the college’s coverage on divesting from Israel-associated corporations. Her earlier professor at Istanbul Sehir University, Fatima Tuba Yaylaci, mentioned that she was “a compassionate scholar committed to human rights” who “wouldn’t hurt a soul,” reported Firstpost.
Ozturk’s arrest has raised widespread outrage, with civil rights teams and authorized analysts questioning the authorized foundation for her detention.
Why was Rumeysa Ozturk arrested?
Ozturk, who is Muslim, was heading out to break her Ramadan quick with buddies Tuesday night time when she was detained by agents from the Department of Homeland Security close to her residence in Somerville, Massachusetts, Khanbabai mentioned.

Federal immigration agents arrested Ozturk exterior her off-campus residence. She was in possession of a legitimate student visa when she was arrested, in accordance to her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai.
Nevertheless, plainclothes Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents bodily restrained and handcuffed her with out a right away motive.
Surveillance footage captured the moments earlier than her arrest. In the video, a casually dressed man waves at her earlier than stepping in her path. As Ozturk makes an attempt to transfer previous him, he blocks her once more, engages her in a short change, and out of the blue grabs her palms. She screams, “What’s going on?” earlier than different agents transfer in to restrain her and place her in an unmarked SUV.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell described the video as “disturbing,” saying, “It is troubling that the federal administration decided to ambush and arrest her seemingly targeting a law-abiding citizen due to her political opinions.”
Allegations in opposition to Ozturk
An announcement attributed to a senior spokesperson for Homeland Security claimed Wednesday that Ozturk had “engaged in activities in support of” Hamas thought of “grounds for visa issuance to be terminated.”
A spokesman from DHS defined the visa cancellation had “grounds for removal,” however no official costs have been filed, and no public info has been launched to assist the claims.

Her attorneys filed a writ within the Federal District Court of Massachusetts in opposition to her detention. An order was given by Judge Indira Talwani prohibiting the federal government from extraditing her exterior the state prior to discover. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) data said that Ozturk was transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center earlier than the courtroom directive turned efficient.
“Like all the other immigration cases related to international students and activists who have spoken up about the atrocities in Palestine, the government throws around wild accusations but provides no evidence,” mentioned Khanbabai. “We hope Rumeysa will be released immediately.”
University and civil rights responses
Tufts University denied any advance information of the arrest. In a letter to college students, the college president, Sunil Kumar, wrote, “We did not share any information with federal authorities prior to the event, and the location where this took place is not affiliated with Tufts University.” He added, “From what we have been told subsequently, the student’s visa status has been terminated, and we seek to confirm whether that information is true.”
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Massachusetts chapter denounced the arrest. Legal director Jessie Rossman said, “Nobody ought to be disappeared from the streets of Somerville — or wherever in America.”
Ozturk’s arrest is one of a series of immigration enforcement actions targeting international students who have ties to pro-Palestinian activism. A right-wing watchdog organization, Canary Mission, which has been accused of doxxing pro-Palestinian activists, made claims that Ozturk participated in anti-Israel activism in March 2024.
Protests and calls for for launch
Protests calling for Ozturk’s launch have intensified, with an emergency rally going down at Powder House Square in Somerville. Supporters, civil rights organizations, and fellow college students are demanding her rapid launch and an open evaluation of the authorized grounds for her arrest.