Photo: WBZ NewsRadio
SOMERVILLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A Tufts University graduate student has been detained by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts, was reportedly taken into custody by ICE in Somerville, Mass. Attorney Mahsa Khanbabai, who is representing Ozturk, said in a statement that it happened on Tuesday night outside her apartment as she was heading to meet with friends.
“We are unaware of her whereabouts and have not been able to contact her. No charges have been filed against Rumeysa to date that we are aware of. I filed a habeas petition requesting that she not be moved out of the District of MA which was granted by Judge [Indira] Talwani last night,” said Khanbabai in a statement to WBZ NewsRadio on Wednesday morning.
According to Tufts officials, the university was unaware of any ICE detainment plans impacting its students and “did not share any information with federal authorities prior to the event.”
“From what we have been told subsequently, the student’s visa status has been terminated, and we seek to confirm whether that information is true. The university has no additional information at this time about the cause or circumstances of the student’s apprehension and is attempting to learn more about the incident,” said Tufts President Sunil Kumar in a statement.
Anika is a second-year Tufts student from India. She, like many on campus, has become increasingly concerned about the state of immigration.
“I’m sure the kids who are thinking about coming to the U.S. are having second thoughts about it now,” said Anika.
In a statement to WBZ NewsRadio Wednesday evening, the Department of Homeland Security said, "Rumeysa Ozturk is a Turkish national and Tufts University graduate student, granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa. DHS and ICE investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans. A visa is a privilege not a right. Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is commonsense security."
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren released a statement reacting to Ozturk's arrest, saying, "This arrest is the latest in an alarming pattern to stifle civil liberties. The Trump administration is targeting students with legal status and ripping people out of their communities without due process. This is an attack on our Constitution and basic freedoms — and we will push back."
"This is a horrifying violation of Rumeysa's constitutional rights to due process and free speech. She must be immediately released," Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley said in a statement. "And we won't stand by while the Trump Administration continues to abduct students with legal status and attack our fundamental freedoms."
A rally is planned for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Powderhouse Square Park.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports.