The U.S. immigration authorities have canceled the visa of Turkish student Rumeisa Ozturk due to her support for Palestinians. According to her lawyer, Ozturk was detained on Tuesday (March 25) evening while on her way to meet friends for iftar. This report was published by British news agency Reuters.
The 30-year-old Ozturk was pursuing a doctoral degree at Tufts University in Boston. She was arrested near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts. A video circulating on social media shows government officials in white uniforms and masks taking her away.
Foreign students studying in the U.S. have held several protests in support of Palestinians against Israeli aggression in Gaza. However, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has already taken legal action against multiple students involved in these protests. Ozturk’s supporters claim that she is the first person to be arrested in Boston for participating in pro-Palestinian movements.
Human rights activists have strongly criticized the recent actions taken by the Trump administration against foreign students, calling it an infringement on freedom of speech. However, the administration has defended its actions, arguing that such protests are anti-Semitic and could harm U.S. foreign policy.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, stated that Ozturk was working in support of Hamas, a terrorist organization that, according to her, takes pleasure in killing American citizens. “Everyone should remember that obtaining a U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right,” she said. However, she did not specify exactly what actions Ozturk had taken in support of Hamas.
Ozturk’s lawyer, Mahsa Khanbababi, has dismissed the allegations as baseless. “Looking at the recent actions of the administration across the country, I would say that Ozturk was arrested simply for exercising her freedom of speech,” she said.
On the night of the arrest, Khanbababi filed a complaint in court, arguing that Ozturk was unlawfully detained. Based on her petition, Judge Indira Talwani ordered immigration authorities not to transfer Ozturk out of Massachusetts without at least 48 hours’ notice. However, Khanbababi has alleged that despite the court order, Ozturk was transferred to the state of Louisiana.
Expressing her concerns, the lawyer said, “The way U.S. immigration authorities are acting in broad daylight while ignoring everyone, the public should be alarmed.”