Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested by US immigration officials in Massachusetts and is being held in Louisiana. Ozturk, a doctoral student, was detained while on her way to an Iftar meal to celebrate Ramadan. Officials stated that her student visa had been revoked due to her participation in pro-Palestinian protests. Critics argue that the allegations are false and violate students’ right to free speech.
A federal judge ordered that Ozturk be detained in Massachusetts, but she is currently being held in Louisiana. Officials accuse her of supporting Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. Tufts University claimed it had no prior knowledge of the arrest and is seeking to confirm the information.
Ozturk’s arrest is part of a larger crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists on US campuses. Other students facing deportation or detention include Yunseo Chung, Momodou Taal, Ranjani Srinivasan, and Mahmoud Khalil. The Trump administration’s efforts, under the guise of combating antisemitism, have led to funding cuts for universities and threats of deportation for students deemed “adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests” of the US.
Civil rights groups, such as the ACLU, have criticized the administration’s actions, warning universities against complying with unconstitutional demands. The ACLU argues that the government cannot mandate expulsions or threaten funding cuts to suppress protected speech. The situation highlights the ongoing tension between freedom of expression and national security concerns in the US.
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