Masked U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents detained Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student legally residing in the U.S., outside her Somerville, Massachusetts home Tuesday night without explanation. Security footage shows six agents with covered faces seizing her phone and handcuffing her as she screamed, “Why are you hiding your faces?” A bystander asked, “We’re the police,” as they took her away.
Ozturk, 30, is a student at Tufts University and was reportedly on her way to a Ramadan iftar dinner. She holds a valid visa and has not been charged with any crime, according to her attorney. A federal court petition was filed Wednesday demanding an explanation.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ordered DHS to justify Ozturk’s detention by Friday and barred her removal from Massachusetts without notice. However, ICE later listed her as being held in Louisiana.
A DHS spokesperson claimed her visa was revoked due to alleged support for Hamas, a designated terrorist group. The allegation followed her co-authorship of a student op-ed on Palestinian issues. She was later featured on Canary Mission, which profiles pro-Palestinian students.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley called the masked arrest a “horrifying violation” of due process, while Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell called it “intimidation” that must be scrutinized in court.
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