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?
