What we know about the Tufts University student detained by federal agents

As the prima began to acceptable Tuesday implicit Somerville, Massachusetts, Turkish nationalist Rumeysa Ozturk was connected her mode to conscionable friends astatine an Iftar meal wherever they would interruption their Ramadan fast.

But she would ne'er marque to the gathering, according to her attorney, Masha Khanbabai. Instead, the 30-year-old was arrested and physically restrained by migration officers adjacent her apartment, adjacent to Tufts University’s Somerville field wherever she was a PhD student, Khanbabai told CNN.

Neighborhood surveillance video appears to amusement six plainclothes officers surrounding Ozturk arsenic she walked alone. The officers lone amusement their badges aft she was restrained with her hands down her back, the video shows.

Ozturk is 1 of respective overseas nationals affiliated with prestigious American universities to beryllium arrested nether the Trump medication for purported activities related to violent organizations, including Mahmoud Khalil, a salient Palestinian activist, who was taken into custody astatine his Columbia University lodging earlier this month.

Ozturk “engaged successful activities successful enactment of Hamas,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said successful a connection Wednesday. The spokesperson didn’t specify what those alleged activities were.

No charges person been filed against Ozturk, her lawyer told CNN. Here’s what we cognize astir her arrest:

Who is Rumeysa Ozturk?

Ozturk was enrolled successful a PhD programme astatine Tufts University connected a valid F-1 visa, which allows planetary students to prosecute afloat clip world studies, according to Khanbabai.

In March 2024, Ozturk cowrote an op-ed successful the school’s paper wherever she criticized Tufts’ effect to the pro-Palestinian movement.

Tufts University officials said the schoolhouse had nary anterior cognition of the arrest.

The assemblage “did not stock immoderate accusation with national authorities anterior to the event, and the determination wherever this took spot is not affiliated with Tufts University,” Tufts president Sunil Kumar said successful a written statement. “From what we person been told subsequently, the student’s visa presumption has been terminated, and we question to corroborate whether that accusation is true.”

In an updated connection sent precocious Wednesday, which included further guidance and resources to different planetary students, Tufts’ President Sunil Kumar said helium shared the concerns of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell successful calling the video of Ozturk’s apprehension “disturbing.”

“We admit however frightening and distressing this concern is for her, her loved ones, and the larger assemblage present astatine Tufts, particularly our planetary students, staff, and module who whitethorn beryllium feeling susceptible oregon unsettled by these events,” Kumar added.

The assemblage is successful interaction with local, state, and national elected officials and “hope that Rumeysa is provided the accidental to avail herself of her owed process rights,” helium said.

A spokesperson for the State Department declined to remark connected the specifics of the case.

“Due to privateness and different considerations, and visa confidentiality, we mostly volition not remark connected Department actions with respect to circumstantial cases,” a State Department spokesperson told CNN.

Sudden apprehension caught connected camera

Surveillance video released Wednesday and obtained from a neighbour by the advocacy radical Muslim Justice League appears to amusement six plainclothes officers casually approaching Ozturk arsenic she walks unsocial connected a sidewalk.

One serviceman wearing a chapeau and hoodie grabs her arms, causing Ozturk to shriek successful fearfulness arsenic different pulls retired a concealed badge connected a lanyard and confiscates her compartment phone.

Shortly afterward, the officers each propulsion cloth coverings implicit their mouths and noses, immoderate of them wearing sunglasses, arsenic 1 of them restrains Ozturk’s hands down her back.

As the officers say, “We’re the police,” a idiosyncratic not seen successful the video tin beryllium heard responding, “Yeah, you don’t look similar it. Why are you hiding your faces?”

One infinitesimal aft the brushwood began, Ozturk is walked into a waiting SUV and driven away.

ICE has not responded to CNN’s petition for remark connected Ozturk’s case.

The usage of facial coverings matches an relationship of the apprehension of Georgetown University chap Bada Khan Suri, whose lawyer Nermeen Arastu told CNN the officers who detained Khan Suri were “brandishing weapons.”

“ICE agents came successful the night, took him captive, taking him from his woman and children, and hauled him distant to an chartless determination earlier transferring him to an ICE detention installation successful Louisiana, acold from his household and attorneys,” Arastu added connected Suri.

Detained successful Louisiana

After she was detained connected Tuesday, Ozturk’s lawyer filed a petition successful national territory tribunal successful Boston challenging the legality of her detention and requesting not to determination her retired of the territory of Massachusetts.

“(Ozturk) shall not beryllium moved extracurricular the District of Massachusetts without archetypal providing beforehand announcement of the intended move,” District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, wrote Tuesday successful an bid obtained by CNN affiliate WHDH. Talwani ordered the authorities to respond to Ozturk’s petition by Friday.

But connected Wednesday a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said she had been transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center successful Basile.

It is not wide whether Ozturk had already been transferred retired of Boston to Louisiana by the clip justice Talwani issued her order.

Ozturk is present the 3rd planetary pupil known to beryllium transferred to Louisiana aft being detained by national officers. Khalil and Georgetown chap Badar Khan Suri were some transferred to an ICE detention installation successful Jena.

“Like each the different migration cases related to planetary students and activists who person spoken up astir the atrocities successful Palestine, the authorities throws astir chaotic accusations but provides nary evidence,” Khanbabai said. “We anticipation Rumeysa volition beryllium released immediately.”

CNN’s Amanda Musa, Braden Walker, Caroll Alvarado and Zenebou Sylla contributed to this report.

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