Rumeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old doctoral student from Turkey, is locked in a major fight for freedom. Now, U.S. authorities have detained her—at Tufts University, where she’s a PhD student. On March 25, she was arrested in Somerville, Massachusetts. Yet the Department of Homeland Security alleged her guilt-by-association participation in activism that advocates for pro-Palestine movements constitutes support for Hamas.
Öztürk has been making waves recently with her fearless stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Her most lasting impact may have come from an opinion piece she wrote for the Tufts student newspaper, published in 2024. In her article, she called on the university to “recognize the Palestinian genocide.” Just last month, Tufts’ undergraduate student government added its voice to this call by passing resolutions calling on the institution to publicly disclose its investments and divest from companies connected to Israel.
Öztürk went on to criticize Tufts’ leadership leaders harshly for their lackluster response to these resolutions. He maintained that the university had neglected the interests of its students who advocate for the protection of Palestinian human rights. Her detention ignited a national discourse on the state of academic freedom and what recent developments in immigration law truly mean.
As of now, Öztürk is detained in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention in Louisiana. Her legal team, headed by attorney Mahsa Khanbabai, is vigorously pushing for a habeas petition in federal court. Their goal is to get her out of detention and move her case forward in immigration court.
He was moved to a facility in Webster, Texas, but last week a Vermont-based federal judge, William K. Sessions III, ordered Öztürk returned to Vermont. This decision comes amid ongoing efforts by Tufts University to advocate for her release and to support her right to express her views without facing legal repercussions.
Khanbabai has vocally defended Öztürk’s actions, stating, “A university op-ed advocating for human rights and freedom for the Palestinian people should not lead to imprisonment.” She further emphasized the broader implications of this case, saying that “our immigration laws should not be manipulated to rip people away from their homes and their loved ones.”
This case underscores important issues related to academic freedom, immigration enforcement, and advocacy for the right to humanity in our colleges and universities. The ramifications of Öztürk’s case will be watched closely as it works its way through the courts.