President Donald Trump’s administration has been blocked from deporting a PhD candidate enrolled at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
The detention of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, by plainclothes ICE officers triggered immediate backlash across social media platforms.
The New York Post reports that federal judge Denise Casper ruled against the administration’s attempt to deport Ozturk without presenting concrete evidence supporting their claims. President Trump’s administration had leveled accusations at Rumeysa Ozturk, suggesting she supported Hamas militants, an organization classified as terrorist by the United States and other Western nations. However, the U.S. government failed to produce any evidence backing these claims.
The Turkish academic had co-written an opinion piece questioning her university’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict. In her writing, she urged Tufts University to terminate all Israeli partnerships citing Palestinian casualties. No evidence exists linking Rumeysa Ozturk to any destructive activities during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on American university grounds.
Viral footage shows the doctoral candidate being detained at her Medford campus just before breaking her Ramadan fast. ICE agents in civilian clothes approached her, seized her mobile device, and restrained her before transferring her to a Louisiana detention facility. This incident has ignited discussions about ICE’s monitoring of Muslim and Arab-origin individuals.
Hollywood Unlocked reports that Ozturk has been active in campus advocacy. She co-authored an article in The Tufts Daily during March 2024, challenging the university’s position on anti-Israel protests and advocating boycotts against Israeli military industry suppliers. Subsequently, her information appeared on Canary Mission, a pro-Israel platform monitoring perceived anti-Israel activists.
Civil rights organizations condemn these actions as power overreach, claiming President Trump’s administration is manipulating immigration policies to silence opposition. Demonstrations in Somerville have drawn hundreds demanding Ozturk’s freedom. Participants emphasized the constitutional protection of peaceful protest under the First Amendment.
This incident reflects broader patterns. Under President Trump, ICE faces criticism for increasing arrests of international activists, particularly those involved with Palestinian rights, police reform, and racial equality movements in America.
“All international students engaging in disruptive activities will be sent back to their home countries,” warned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed over 300 student visa cancellations.
