A U.S. federal judge in Massachusetts has temporarily halted the deportation of Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, who was detained earlier this week
by immigration authorities after expressing pro-Palestinian views.
Ozturk was arrested near her home in Massachusetts on Tuesday by federal agents. Her student visa was subsequently revoked. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accused her—without publicly presenting evidence—of supporting Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist organization.
The arrest follows her co-authorship of a 2023 opinion piece in the Tufts student newspaper, where she criticized the university’s stance on calls to divest from companies tied to Israel and urged recognition of what she described as the “Palestinian genocide.”
Following her arrest, a legal challenge was filed to stop her deportation. On Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) joined her legal team, arguing her detention violates constitutional rights to free speech and due process.
Despite a prior court order requiring that Ozturk not be transferred out of Massachusetts without notice, she was moved to a facility in Louisiana. In response, U.S. District Judge Denise Casper issued a temporary stay on her deportation, giving the federal government until Tuesday to respond to the lawsuit and allowing time to determine whether her court has jurisdiction.
“This is a first step toward getting Rumeysa released and back to Boston to continue her studies,” said her attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai.
DHS has not issued a public statement regarding the case.
The case comes amid a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on foreign students and activists supporting Palestinian causes. Former President Donald Trump has pledged to deport foreign nationals participating in pro-Palestinian protests, claiming they support Hamas, promote antisemitism, and endanger U.S. foreign policy.
Critics argue the administration is conflating legitimate criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza with support for terrorism. While some demonstrations have been peaceful, others have reportedly included antisemitic rhetoric, violence, and vandalism.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the administration has already revoked over 300 visas and intends to continue deporting individuals involved in disruptive or threatening protest activity on college campuses. Photo by Daderot, Wikimedia commons.