BOSTON — US immigration authorities have detained and revoked the visa of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, after she voiced support for Palestinians in Israel’s war in Gaza. Her arrest on March 25 near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts, has drawn criticism, with supporters claiming it is the first known immigration-related detention of a pro-Palestinian student in the Boston area under Donald Trump’s administration. The administration has previously detained or attempted to detain international students engaged in similar activism, a move that critics describe as an attack on free speech. However, the Trump administration argues that certain protests are antisemitic and could threaten US foreign policy.

A video of Ozturk’s arrest shows plainclothes and masked officers taking her into custody as she was reportedly on her way to meet friends for iftar. US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated that authorities determined Ozturk had engaged in activities supporting Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization. She emphasized that a visa is a privilege, not a right, but did not specify what activities led to this determination.

Ozturk, a Fulbright Scholar, was studying in the Child Study and Human Development doctoral program at Tufts on an F-1 visa. Her arrest came a year after she co-authored an opinion piece in Tufts Daily, criticizing the university’s reluctance to divest from companies linked to Israel and calling for recognition of the "Palestinian genocide." According to her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, Ozturk’s exercise of free speech rights appears to be a key factor in her detention.

Khanbabai filed a lawsuit challenging her arrest, leading US District Judge Indira Talwani to issue an order preventing US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from removing Ozturk from Massachusetts without 48 hours’ notice. However, the next evening, Ozturk was already in Louisiana, despite the court order. Her lawyer called the accusations baseless and condemned the way DHS secretly transferred her out of state.

Ozturk’s detention has sparked a wave of protests in Somerville, where demonstrators held signs demanding her release. US Senator Elizabeth Warren denounced the arrest as part of a troubling effort to silence dissent. Meanwhile, Tufts University President Sunil Kumar stated that the school was unaware of the arrest in advance and acknowledged that it might cause distress among students, particularly international students. The Turkish embassy in Washington has responded by engaging with the US State Department, ICE, and other authorities to ensure Ozturk’s legal rights are upheld.

Her case is not isolated. The Trump administration has intensified its crackdown on international students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. Recently, Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal US resident, was detained after Trump, without providing evidence, accused him of supporting Hamas, a claim Khalil denies. Additionally, a South Korean-born Columbia University student, also a legal US resident, is facing deportation, though court rulings have temporarily blocked the process.

In another case, Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese assistant professor at Brown University, was denied re-entry into the US and deported to Lebanon after authorities found photos on her phone allegedly sympathetic to Hezbollah. She insists she does not support the group but merely held religious regard for its late leader. The administration has also targeted students from Cornell University, Georgetown University, and the University of Alabama, increasing concerns about the impact of immigration policies on international students engaged in political activism.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.