Turkish Doctoral Student Detained by ICE in Defiance of Court Order

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University PhD candidate, was transferred to Louisiana despite a judge's directive to keep her in Massachusetts, sparking legal and public backlash.

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by ICE on March 25, with her student visa revoked over alleged ties to Hamas, though no charges have been filed.
A federal judge had ordered Ozturk not to be moved from Massachusetts without 48 hours' notice, but she was transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, raising legal concerns.
Video footage of her arrest shows masked ICE agents detaining her in what witnesses described as resembling a kidnapping, fueling public outrage.
Ozturk’s detention follows her public criticism of Tufts’ ties to Israel and her listing on the controversial Canary Mission database, which targets pro-Palestinian activists.
Protests and legal challenges are growing, with activists, lawmakers, and academic organizations condemning the Trump administration’s actions as unconstitutional and repressive.