Federal authorities on Tuesday detained a Tufts University graduate student while she was on her way to break her Ramadan fast with friends, her lawyer said, and the moment was caught on video.
Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national who was maintaining a valid F-1 student visa as a doctoral student, was apprehended near her home by Department of Homeland Security agents, according to a statement from her attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai.
Ozturk’s attorney said they are “unaware of her whereabouts and have not been able to contact her. No charges have been filed against Rumeysa to date that we are aware of.”
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement online detainee locator system has listed Ozturk as being “in ICE Custody,” but it does not include any further details.
“DHS and ICE investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans. A visa is a privilege not a right,” a senior DHS spokesperson told NBC News.
The spokesperson added, “Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is commonsense security.”
NBC News obtained a video showing Ozturk’s arrest on Tuesday. According to the video, a male agent dressed in plain clothes — who wore a hoodie and a hat — waved at her as he approached her. He said, “Hey, ma’am.”
Ozturk, according to the video, appeared confused and tried to walk around the agent, but the agent stepped in front of her to stop her.
The agent and Ozturk spoke to one another briefly, but the agent then grabbed her hands so that he could handcuff her. Ozturk screamed out in confusion, saying, “What’s going on?”
During this exchange, additional agents surrounded Ozturk as they arrested her. One female law enforcement agent said, “OK, it’s fine.”
The male agent who initially approached her said, “OK, we’re the police, relax.”
The agents repeatedly said, “We are the police,” while they handcuffed and escorted her to a black SUV.
“Nearly 20 hours after her detention, there are still no charges, and the government has not told us where she is. This is very bizarre and incredibly concerning,” Ozturk’s attorney told NBC News.
Ozturk’s attorney filed a habeas petition in Massachusetts federal court on Tuesday to release her. As of Wednesday morning, the petition was not publicly available.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a three-page order Tuesday, blocking the Trump administration from moving Ozturk outside of the District of Massachusetts without providing advance notice.
Talwani said a “United States District Court does not generally have subject-matter jurisdiction to review orders of removal,” but the court does have the ability to “preserve the status quo.”
Ozturk is a student in Tufts’ doctoral program for child study and human development, according to her LinkedIn profile. She has a master’s degree from the Teachers College at Columbia University.
In March 2024, Ozturk co-authored an opinion essay in the Tufts student newspaper, criticizing the university’s response to demands that it “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide” and “divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel.”
Tufts University President Sunil Kumar said in a statement that the school received reports about an international graduate student being taken into custody by federal authorities at an off-campus apartment building.
He said the university “had no pre-knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities prior to the event.”
Kumar did not identify Ozturk in his statement.
According to Kumar, the university has been told that the student’s visa status was “terminated,” and they are working to confirm whether that information is true.
“We realize that tonight’s news will be distressing to some members of our community, particularly the members of our international community,” he said.
Via NBC NEWS