The PhD student at Tufts University who lives in the U.S. on a visa faced immigration detention after leaving Boston according to official statements from both Tufts University and her legal team. The immigration authorities detained Rumeysa Ozturk who is a Turkish national.
Rumeysa Ozturk faced no issues with her F-1 visa status since she studied as a doctoral student at Tufts according to attorney Mahsa Khanbabai. The Department of Homeland Security agents detained Rumeysa Ozturk after she left her Somerville Massachusetts home to join friends for a Ramadan meal on March 25th.
We still do not have any information about the specific charges that have been leveled against Rumeysa according to her attorney. A court order issued by Judge Indira Talwani accepted my request for Rumeysa to remain in Massachusetts after I filed it.
Rumeysa Ozturk a Turkish national enrolled at Tufts received a visa to study in the United States according to a Department of Homeland Security representative. DHS and ICE investigations discovered that Rumeysa Ozturk actively supported Hamas which attacks Americans. The United States grants visas as a privilege but it can be taken away when someone supports individuals who endanger American lives. This is a basic safety precaution.”
ICE records show Rumeysa Ozturk in custody at the facility located in Basile, Louisiana. The attorney discovered the student transfer only a few hours before making her announcement.
More than one day has passed since her arrest yet Rumeysa remains without a permanent detention center placement. Throughout this period the lawyer has completely lost contact with her.
On Tuesday a federal court ordered DHS to notify the court before moving Ozturk from Massachusetts yet the exact date of her relocation to Louisiana remains unknown.
The email Tufts University sent students on Tuesday revealed that her visa had been revoked while they struggled to obtain more information. We received no advance notice of this incident and made no disclosures to federal authorities before its occurrence. The incident took place outside of university facilities. The email clarified.
The university explained that it learned about her visa revocation through the information received so far and it continues to verify this situation. We cannot determine all reasons behind her detention at this time but we will investigate further. The university elaborated.
The email ended by stating the Office of University Counsel will assist her request for help by connecting her to outside legal assistance according to standard procedures.