Tipsheet

There Was Nothing Wrong With This ICE Arrest in Massachusetts

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  March 28, 2025 12:30 AM

Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk had her green card revoked. The Tufts University student was detained by federal agents in Massachusetts, sparking some strong reactions on social media. Ozturk reportedly was engaging in activities in support of radical Islamic terrorism (via CBS News): 

A Tufts University international graduate student was taken into custody by federal authorities in Massachusetts Tuesday evening. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Turkish national Rumeysa Ozturk "engaged in activities in support of Hamas," but did not provide details about her alleged activities.

A DHS spokesperson told CBS News on Wednesday that she is being held at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in central Louisiana. 

In an email to campus, Tufts University President Sunil Kumar said Ozturk was apprehended "outside an off-campus apartment building in Somerville." 

In a follow-up letter Wednesday night, school officials also confirmed that Ozturk was being detained in Louisiana. The school disclosed that Ozturk was arrested while on her way to a Ramadan iftar dinner. 

"We stand with our Muslim students, especially during their observance of Ramadan, as we recognize that Rumeysa was on her way to an Iftar gathering with friends at the Interfaith Center when she was detained," school officials said in the letter. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio elaborated further (via NY Post): 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed Thursday that he’s revoked the visas of at least 300 foreign students – warning that if you come to the US to “create a ruckus,” you’ll be kicked out. 

“It might be more than 300 at this point,” Rubio told reporters at a press conference in Guyana when asked about the number of overseas scholars who have had visas pulled under the Trump administration. 

“We do it every day,” the secretary of state continued. “Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa.” 

[…] 

Rumeysa Ozturk – a Tufts University graduate student from Turkey who previously attended Columbia – was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents earlier this week. 

Ozturk’s student visa was “terminated” by the Trump administration over her alleged “activities in support of Hamas,” the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday. 

Yashar Ali was outraged over the arrest: 

When this video was first texted to me, I assumed it was from Iran. The way she screams, she was wearing a hijab, and the way the law enforcement approached her it looked no different from the way Islamic Republic authorities arrest women. It's from Massachusetts, of course. There's no reason to detain someone in this manner who isn't a danger to the public. None at all. 

Leigh Wolf, formerly of Townhall and now executive producer of the Ruthless Podcast, had a more grounded take:

This is one of the most professional and safe arrests I’ve seen. In public, broad daylight, overwhelming presence so there’s no confusion. There’s even a female LEO present to comport with Islamic cultural requirements to the greatest extent possible. If you’re mad about this arrest, you just don’t want criminals to be detained.

Safe travels back home, Ozturk.

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