The US Senator Ed Markey has condemned the detention of Turkish Fulbright scholar Rumeysa Ozturk by immigration authorities, calling the move “a national disgrace” and part of an “authoritarian” crackdown under the Trump administration.
Markey, joined by Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern, spoke to reporters at Boston’s Logan Airport after returning from a visit to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in Louisiana on Wednesday.
The lawmakers had traveled to meet with Ozturk and Palestinian-American Mahmoud Khalil, both of whom remain in ICE custody.
The lawmakers demanded the immediate release of both students, calling their arrest a move towards authoritarian state.
‘Ozturk detained without charge’
Ozturk, a PhD student in child and human development at Tufts University, was arrested on March 25 by masked ICE agents outside her Somerville, Massachusetts apartment.
According to Markey, she has not been charged with any crime, and federal authorities have presented no evidence that she poses any threat to public safety.
“She told us she was afraid,” said Markey. “They were rough with her. What the Trump administration is doing is not immigration enforcement – it is authoritarianism.”
He emphasised that the case exemplifies a broader pattern of intimidation: “These are political prisoners. This is a chilling and dangerous violation of their human rights.”
The US has cancelled visas of more than 300 students as a clampdown on anti-Israel activism sweeps American campuses, the Secretary of State confirms.
The US Senator Ed Markey has condemned the detention of Turkish Fulbright scholar Rumeysa Ozturk by immigration authorities, calling the move “a national disgrace” and part of an “authoritarian” crackdown under the Trump administration.
Markey, joined by Representatives Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern, spoke to reporters at Boston’s Logan Airport after returning from a visit to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers in Louisiana on Wednesday.
The lawmakers had traveled to meet with Ozturk and Palestinian-American Mahmoud Khalil, both of whom remain in ICE custody.
‘Ozturk detained without charge’
Ozturk, a PhD student in child and human development at Tufts University, was arrested on March 25 by masked ICE agents outside her Somerville, Massachusetts apartment.
According to Markey, she has not been charged with any crime, and federal authorities have presented no evidence that she poses any threat to public safety.
“She told us she was afraid,” said Markey. “They were rough with her. What the Trump administration is doing is not immigration enforcement – it is authoritarianism.”
He emphasised that the case exemplifies a broader pattern of intimidation: “These are political prisoners. This is a chilling and dangerous violation of their human rights.”
‘Unlawfully held in harrowing conditions’
Representative Pressley echoed the concerns, describing Ozturk and Khalil’s detentions as "cruel" and "unjust." She said both are being “unlawfully held in harrowing conditions” at ICE-run facilities in Louisiana, with reports of degrading treatment.
Ozturk, she noted, was targeted despite having no criminal record. Khalil, a legal US resident and pro-Palestinian activist, was arrested for participating in protests at Columbia University. He has not been charged with any crime but was denied a temporary release to attend the birth of his first child.
“He was simply exercising his right to free speech,” Pressley said. “This is not justice. This is punishment for political expression.”
The Trump administration uses rare legal clause
The Trump administration has invoked a rarely used section of immigration law that allows for deportation of individuals deemed to pose “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” Human rights advocates and legal experts have raised alarm over its use in cases involving peaceful protest or constitutionally protected speech.
Both Ozturk and Khalil are challenging their detentions in court. Ozturk’s legal team argues that her academic work and writings fall squarely under First Amendment protections.
‘We will not stop fighting’
Representative McGovern denounced the detentions as a violation of both US constitutional rights and international human rights law.
“This is immoral and wrong,” he said. “The Trump administration is trying to silence dissent by locking up students and activists. We won’t stop fighting until they’re released.”
The lawmakers vowed continued pressure on the administration and pledged to bring public and congressional scrutiny to the cases.
