Massachusetts Lawmakers Demand Answers After Tufts Student Detention by ICE

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University PhD student from Turkey, was detained by ICE agents in Somerville, Massachusetts, sparking widespread protests and condemnation from lawmakers and community members. Ozturk's lawyer asserts she was maintaining a valid F-1 visa, while federal authorities claim her visa was terminated due to alleged support for Hamas, a statement they have not substantiated. Despite a federal court order preventing her removal from Massachusetts, Ozturk was transferred to an ICE facility in Louisiana shortly after her arrest. Protesters have characterized her detention as a form of political intimidation stemming from her activism for Palestinian rights, questioning the legality of her arrest. Massachusetts lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Ayanna Pressley, have criticized the federal actions as violations of due process and free speech rights. Tufts University President Sunil Kumar stated the institution had no prior knowledge of the arrest and is seeking more information about the incident.