Tufts University defends detained Turkish PhD student, calls for immediate release

Tufts University issued a declaration in support on Thursday for Turkish PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was taken into custody by masked Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents on March 25 without explanation.

School President Sunil Kumar filed the declaration in support of a motion submitted by Ozturk’s legal team in the U.S. District Court in the state of Massachusetts.

“The university has no information to support the allegations that she was engaged in activities at Tufts that warrant her arrest and detention,” Kumar said in the declaration. “The university has seen an outpouring of support for Ms. Ozturk over the last week from Tufts students, faculty, and staff. These individuals have described Ms. Ozturk as a valued member of the community dedicated to her academic pursuits and committed to her colleagues.”

Kumar’s declaration marks the first instance of a university publicly defending one of its students in court.

Kumar said Ozturk was in “good immigration standing” when she was detained and emphasized the essential role of international students at Tufts and in the broader academic and economic landscape of the United States.

The university sponsors nearly 2,500 international students, including 1,818 on F-1 visas, 569 alumni with post-completion work authorization, and 24 degree and non-degree students on J-1 visas, many of whom contribute to research, innovation, and public service in the U.S. and globally.

Based on everything we know and have shared here, the university seeks relief so that Ms. Ozturk is released without delay so that she can return to complete her studies and finish her degree at Tufts University.

Sunil Kumar, President of Tufts University

Ozturk, 30, who is also a Fulbright scholar, was arrested last week near her home in Somerville, Massachusetts, while heading to an iftar dinner to break her fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

No charges have been filed against Ozturk, according to her lawyer. A viral video captured the moments of her detention, showing masked individuals handcuffing her and forcibly taking away her phone.

Ozturk has a hearing on Thursday at 2:00 p.m. local time (1400 GMT) at the Boston federal courthouse, where her legal team will present initial oral arguments.

Authorities claim she engaged in activities supporting the Palestinian group Hamas — an allegation her family and advocates strongly deny.

Her lawyer and family believe she was targeted for an op-ed she co-authored in The Tufts Daily, where she urged the school to acknowledge what she described as the Palestinian genocide and divest from companies linked to Israel.

The article led to her being featured on Canary Mission, a pro-Israel website that blacklists pro-Palestinian students and activists.