A Turkish academic, working as a research assistant at Tufts University and a graduate of Columbia University’s Teachers College, has been detained by US authorities for joining pro-Palestine demonstrations.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials revealed that Rumeysa Ozturk would be deported, intensifying concerns over the Donald Trump administration’s crackdown on students protesting Israel's war on Gaza.
Ozturk had co-authored an article in Tufts Daily, arguing that Israel’s military actions in Gaza constituted “genocide” under international law.
She also defended students’ right to protest, condemning universities for restricting pro-Palestine demonstrations.
Reports suggest that she was ambushed by ICE on her way to an Iftar, a fast-breaking occasion, with friends after leaving her apartment.
Crackdown on students
Since October 7, 2023, student protests in solidarity with Palestine against Israel's genocidal war on Gaza have surged across US campuses, often met with aggressive police interventions.
Deportations of foreign students involved in these demonstrations have accelerated, with the Trump administration back in power, raising alarm among human rights advocates.
Recently, a judge ruled that a Korean Columbia University student, who is a legal permanent US resident and has participated in pro-Palestine protests, cannot be detained by federal immigration officials—for now—as she fights the Trump administration’s attempts to deport her.
Yunseo Chung, 21, has lived in the US since she was seven and sued the Trump administration on Monday to prevent her deportation.
Her legal team was informed this month that her lawful permanent resident status was being revoked, according to court records in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The Trump administration has reaffirmed its unwavering support for Israel, framing pro-Palestine activism as "anti-Semitic."
The US president's support has fueled institutional crackdowns, making student protests a flashpoint in the broader political battle over US policy in the Middle East.
Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald issued a temporary restraining order against the government that prevents Yunseo Chung from being detained.
