Öztürk's arrest sparked condemnation from elected officials and others. Some accused the Trump administration of targeting students for their political views without due process, while others called it a violation of civil liberties. The incident also provoked protests at Tufts University and across Massachusetts.
On May 9, Öztürk was released pending final decision on her legal case over her detention.
In March 2024, Öztürk and three others co-wrote an opinion piece entitled "Try again, President Kumar: Renewing calls for Tufts to adopt March 4 TCU Senate resolutions" that was published in the university's newspaper The Tufts Daily.[4] The article called for Tufts to divest from companies with ties to Israel and acknowledge "Palestinian genocide".[5] The editorial was endorsed by 32 others.[6][7] Following this, her personal information was made public by Canary Mission, a group that documents those whom it disapproves of.[5]
The group StopAntisemitism claimed that, while at Tufts, Öztürk had led violent events in support of Hamas and in opposition to Israel and the U. S.[8] Her brother denied this on social media. Her friends had said the only pro-Palestinian activity she had engaged in was the op-ed.[5] After her detention, both her associates at Tufts and her department at the university paid tribute to her character.[9]
The Washington Post reported that Öztürk's visa was revoked at the discretion of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and without her knowledge in the weeks prior to her arrest. The Post also reported that while the initial grounds for the action had been antisemitism or expressing support for a terror organisation like Hamas, no evidence was provided to substantiate the allegations.[10]
Arrest and detention
Footage of Öztürk being handcuffed by six plainclothed officers
On March 25, Öztürk was arrested by six plainclothes officers as she left her home to meet friends to break their Ramadan fast. The officers, mostly masked, quickly moved up to her, whereupon they identified themselves as police and took away her phone and backpack. A bystander initially believed the incident to be a kidnapping.[11][12][13] In a later sworn statement, Öztürk said that she initially believed she had been abducted by associates of the Canary Mission, and that when it was made clear that she had been arrested by law enforcement she was not told why. During this time she was shackled and denied access to a lawyer. One of the officers later told her that she would be transported a detention center in Vermont, as there were none in Massachusetts for women.[14][15]
Öztürk was subsequently moved several times, including to Vermont, before eventually arriving at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center. She claimed she was questioned while sleep-deprived, mistreated after suffering asthma attacks, and kept in an overcrowded cell in unsanitary conditions during this process.[16][17][18] She also said that she was kept entirely indoors for the first week of her detention and that she had limited food and water for two weeks.[19][20]
Representatives of the Turkish government visited Öztürk while in detention to provide consular support and attempt to secure her release.[21] In April a Congressional delegation, led by Louisiana Representative Troy Carter, visited Öztürk and another pro-Palestinian protestor who had been detained, Mahmoud Khalil. Reporting on the conditions the two were kept in, the delegation described pair as "political prisoners" and noted that both detainees complained of low temperatures as well a lack of medical care, food and religious accommodation.[22] ICE officials would later deny these claims.[23]
Öztürk's location was unknown to anyone but the authorities, in the initial 24 hours following her arrest, including her lawyer. Her movement out of Massachusetts also appeared to contravene an order issued by a US District judge not to be removed within the first 48 hours of her arrest.[24] The US government claimed that, because of a lack of beds, ICE had already planned to move Öztürk to Louisiana prior to her arrest and that the District court had no jurisdiction over federal immigration actions.[25] Legal representatives for both sides disputed where Öztürk's petition to be released should be heard, with District Judge Denise J. Casper eventually ruling that this would take place in Vermont, and that an earlier ruling barring her deportation would remain in effect.[26]
Öztürk was released on bail in May after US District Judge, William K Sessions, ordered her immediate release without restrictions. During the hearing Sessions highlighted that no evidence had been presented to support her detention, and that continued detention was likely to be detrimental to her health.[27]
Following her release from detention, Öztürk thanked her supporters.[28] At a press conference at Logan Airport in Boston, Öztürk stated her intention to continue her legal battle against her initial detention and to return to her studies.[29]
Legal proceedings are ongoing in Vermont regarding claims of illegal detention and in Louisiana regarding immigration hearings.[30][31]
Reactions
Tufts University
In the days following the arrest, the university confirmed it had no prior knowledge of the impending action and that it was later only informed of the arrest of a student whose visa had been rescinded. The university also stated that it was disturbed by the footage of the arrest, and that it supported both Muslim students and the wider community.[32] Tufts would later make a submission in support of her release, stating that her arrest had been detrimental to the university's international community.[33]
Following her release in May, a university spokesperson gave a statement supporting the outcome and that the university was looking forward to welcoming her back. The statement also re-affirmed that the initial op-ed Öztürk co-wrote violated no university policies.[34]
Civil society
Öztürk's arrest and detention led to a number of protests calling for her release. This included protests at Tufts and Harvard,[35][36] outside the Vermont courthouse where her case was being decided,[37] and a banner being held up during a Major League Soccer game.[38] One protest in downtown Boston involved more than 200, including Mayor Michelle Wu, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, and the president of her Service Employees International Union branch David Foley.[39]
A group of 27 Jewish organizations and synagogues across the US condemned Öztürk's arrest, stating it violated her constitutional rights. They also accused the government of "exploiting" concerns around antisemitism in the process.[40]
Ozturk v. Hyde case docket, District of Vermont, case no. 2:25-cv-00374 (transferred from the District of Massachusetts, case no. 1:25-cv-10695 on 4 April 2025)
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