Rubio’s claims against Turkish student Ozturk ‘completely false’: US Senator

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen sharply criticized fellow senator and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over claims concerning Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Fulbright scholar at Tufts University who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 25.

Hollen described Rubio’s accusation as a “big lie,” pointing to internal State Department communications that contradict Rubio’s public statement.

Secretary Rubio isn't doing a lot of foreign policy these days, but what he IS doing is disappearing people for voicing their First Amendment rights.@SecRubio, why don't you stop lying & picking on college students and come testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee? pic.twitter.com/ySbLgkDJy6

— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) April 14, 2025

“Marco Rubio doesn’t do much foreign policy these days, but he’s now become the guy who goes after foreign students—even green card holders—for exercising their constitutional rights,” Van Hollen stated on X.

According to a recent Washington Post article cited by Van Hollen, internal government documents confirm that Ozturk did not engage in any activities undermining U.S. foreign policy or participating in antisemitic behavior.

These allegations were publicly made by Rubio but lack official support.

Rubio’s actions criticized over constitutional concerns

Van Hollen directly challenged Rubio, questioning why he chooses to target vulnerable students and refuses to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

“If you want to talk about U.S. foreign policy and our policy toward the Netanyahu government, why not show up at the Foreign Relations Committee and stop targeting students for exercising their First Amendment rights?” he wrote.

Van Hollen also condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported proposal to remove 2 million Palestinians from Gaza, calling it “despicable.”

Details of Ozturk’s detention and legal proceedings

Ozturk, a doctoral student in Massachusetts, was reportedly detained by six masked ICE officers while heading to an iftar, fast-breaking dinner, with friends.

Initially held overnight in Vermont, she was flown to Louisiana the next day. Her legal team, friends, and the Turkish consulate were unable to locate her for over 24 hours, during which her lawyers say she experienced an asthma attack.

Rubio had stated that her student visa was canceled and she would be deported, labeling her among over 300 students he called “Hamas sympathizers” and “anti-Israel lunatics.”

However, a federal judge blocked her deportation. On April 4, U.S. District Judge Denise Casper ruled that Ozturk’s case should proceed in Vermont, citing her initial detainment location and the timeline of her legal petition as reasons the Louisiana transfer was inappropriate.

Another Palestinian student detained at Columbia University

Meanwhile, a Palestinian student at Columbia University, Mohsen Mahdawi, was detained while undergoing a citizenship interview in Vermont.

His attorney, Luna Droubi, stated that the detention was unlawful and violated Mahdawi’s First Amendment rights.

According to legal filings, Mahdawi had criticized Israeli actions in Gaza and participated in campus protests. He has held legal residency in the U.S. since 2014 and was scheduled to graduate from Columbia University next month.

A federal judge has since ordered that Mahdawi must not be removed from the state or the country.