Tufts declares support for student detained by ICE, seeks immediate release

Federal justice successful Boston to clasp proceeding contiguous connected detained Tufts pupil

Federal justice successful Boston to clasp proceeding contiguous connected detained Tufts student 01:42

Tufts University has issued a declaration of enactment for planetary postgraduate pupil Rumeysa Ozturk, who was taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security past week. 

Ozturk was apprehended extracurricular her off-campus flat successful Somerville, Massachusetts connected March 25 portion she was connected her mode to a Ramadan iftar dinner. She was walking connected the sidewalk erstwhile masked agents took her into custody and enactment her successful an unmarked vehicle. 

In tribunal documents filed connected Ozturk's behalf, Tufts University President Sunil Kumar asked for the Turkish student's merchandise without hold truthful she tin instrumentality to implicit her studies and decorativeness her degree. 

Tufts student's visa revoked

Court documents indicate the State Department revoked Ozturk's pupil visa connected March 21 connected grounds of alleged engagement successful activities supporting Hamas. However, the assemblage said astatine the clip of her detention, Ozturk was successful "good migration standing." 

Kumar said that evening, Tufts University constabulary received a courtesy notification from Somerville constabulary that an idiosyncratic detained by national authorities mightiness beryllium a Tufts student. It was confirmed done records that it was Ozturk. 

Surveillance video shows Tufts University pupil Rumeysa Ozturk apprehended successful Somerville, MA, connected March 25. CBS Boston

About an hr later, Ozturk's grounds successful the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System was updated to enactment her visa was terminated, according to Kumar. 

"Prior to that, and astatine the clip of her detention, Ms. Ozturk was successful 'good migration standing' according to her grounds successful SEVIS, and some Ms. Ozturk and Tufts had followed the governing regulations for students connected visas," the connection from Kumar said. 

The assemblage received a announcement via email the adjacent morning, March 26, that Ozturk's visa was canceled due to the fact that she was a "non-immigrant presumption violator." 

After she was taken into custody, a DHS spokesperson said, "investigations recovered Ozturk engaged successful activities successful enactment of Hamas," but did not supply evidence. 

"No accusation to enactment allegations"

Ozturk, a third-year doctoral student, was 1 of respective authors of a March 2024 op-ed that urged Tufts to admit the Palestinian genocide. Kumar said the sentiment portion was not successful usurpation of immoderate Tufts policies and nary complaints were made astir it.

"The University has nary accusation to enactment the allegations that she was engaged successful activities astatine Tufts that warrant her apprehension and detention," Kumar wrote. 

According to tribunal documents, national officials accidental Ozturk was transferred to an ICE detention halfway successful Central Louisiana due to the fact that determination was nary country for her successful immoderate installation person to Boston. 

Kumar said the assemblage has heard from students, module and unit who are fearful of leaving their homes to be classes connected campus. 

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