Tufts PhD Student Mysteriously Detained—What Aren’t They Telling Us?

As the sun set over Somerville, Massachusetts, Rumeysa Ozturk was on her way to break her Ramadan fast. She never made it.

Six plainclothes officers swarmed the 30-year-old Tufts PhD student near her apartment, footage shows. No badges—until she was restrained. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) statement later claimed she had “engaged in activities in support of Hamas,” but provided no evidence. No charges were filed.

Now held in a Louisiana ICE detention center, Ozturk’s sudden arrest has ignited protests. Her attorney calls it a crackdown on international students speaking out on Palestine. Tufts University distanced itself, while the Turkish government is monitoring the case.

“Someone can just disappear for voicing an idea,” a protester said at a rally.

Federal officials moved her out of Massachusetts before a judge could intervene. The question remains: why?