Additional Coverage:
- Judge blocks government from deporting detained Tufts student while court weighs jurisdiction (nbcnews.com)
Somerville, MA — A Tufts University doctoral student’s deportation has been temporarily halted after a dramatic arrest earlier this week. Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish national studying Child Study and Human Development, was detained by federal agents Tuesday evening while on her way to break the Ramadan fast.
Ozturk’s attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai, immediately filed a petition for her release, arguing the arrest was unlawful and possibly targeted due to Ozturk’s co-authorship of an op-ed on Palestine and her Muslim faith. Khanbabai described the arrest, captured on video and widely circulated online, as horrifying, with agents grabbing Ozturk’s clothes and backpack before taking her to an undisclosed location in an unmarked car.
Adding to the controversy, Ozturk was reportedly transferred to an ICE processing center in Louisiana, despite a court order to remain in Massachusetts. Khanbabai expressed outrage, stating she was unable to locate her client for nearly 24 hours.
A federal judge has now blocked Ozturk’s deportation while jurisdictional questions are resolved. This decision follows mounting pressure from lawmakers, including a group of senators and House members who penned a letter demanding answers about the arrest and visa revocation. They expressed concerns about a potential pattern of targeting university students with valid visas for expressing political views.
The Department of Homeland Security alleges Ozturk engaged in activities supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. They maintain that supporting such groups is grounds for visa termination.
However, Ozturk’s attorney and supporters view the situation as an overreach and a violation of due process. The legal battle continues, with Ozturk’s future and academic pursuits hanging in the balance.