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An international graduate student from Tufts University was taken into custody by federal agents in Massachusetts on Tuesday evening, as confirmed by both the university and her attorney.
Tufts University President Sunil Kumar shared in an email to the campus community that the student, identified as Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national, was apprehended “outside an off-campus apartment building in Somerville.”
Details of Rumeysa Ozturk’s Detention
According to her attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai, Ozturk was in compliance with her F-1 student visa status as she pursued her PhD at Tufts when she was detained by Department of Homeland Security agents while on her way to meet friends for iftar, the meal to break her Ramadan fast.
Khanbabai expressed concern for Ozturk’s welfare, stating, “We have not been able to reach her, and to our knowledge, no charges have been brought against her so far. I have submitted a habeas petition to ensure she remains within the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, which Judge Talwani approved last night. We are hopeful for her prompt release.”
Complications Surrounding Visa Status
In his email, Kumar elaborated that the university had been informed that Ozturk’s visa status had been “terminated.” He emphasized that Tufts had no prior knowledge of the incident and did not collaborate with federal authorities leading up to her arrest, noting that the location of the incident was not connected to the university.
Kumar said, “We are currently seeking further details about the reasons and circumstances surrounding the apprehension.” He underscored Tufts’ established procedures for handling interactions with government agents when they appear on campus or affiliated locations.
WBZ attempted to obtain comments from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) but did not receive a response. The FBI’s Boston office directed inquiries to ICE, referring to the matter as under their jurisdiction.
Concerns Raised by Local Officials
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey highlighted the potential implications for international students, expressing concern that actions perceived as aggressive towards such populations could discourage foreign students from considering Massachusetts for their studies. “Our state hosts hundreds of thousands of international students annually. Discontent stemming from federal policies could harm our standing in science and research and ultimately affect our economy,” she remarked.
Senator Elizabeth Warren characterized Ozturk’s arrest as part of a troubling trend that undermines civil liberties, criticizing the current administration’s policies towards students maintaining legal status. “This administration is attacking foundational rights and liberties,” Warren stated. “We need to safeguard our Constitution.”
Community Response and Support for Ozturk
In response to the incident, a rally has been organized in Somerville to support Rumeysa Ozturk. Khanbabai encouraged those wishing to show support to attend the event, which is set for 5:30 p.m. at Powder House Square Park.
Somerville is known for adopting a sanctuary city status, which protects individuals from being detained solely based on immigration status.
ICE Operations and Context
Earlier in the week, Tom Homan, who oversees border enforcement under the Trump administration, stated that ICE had recently arrested approximately 370 individuals in Massachusetts for alleged immigration violations. During a press briefing, Homan distinguished between those arrested as part of operations and “collaterals”—individuals apprehended incidentally.
He indicated that the majority of those detained had serious criminal backgrounds, including charges of homicide and drug trafficking, underlining the administration’s focus on removing individuals considered a threat to public safety.
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