Federal immigration agents arrested Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at the University of Alabama, this past Tuesday morning. Ozturk, a Fulbright scholar, was arrested at her residence with no prior notice. Now DHS is accusing her of supporting Hamas for spreading the word. The accusations were filed without any evidence, creating a chilling effect on academic freedom and free speech.
At the time, Ozturk was living in the United States on a visa. In March 2024, that student, Shroder, actually co-authored a notable opinion piece in the Tufts student newspaper. The Times Asher piece called for the university to “recognize the Palestinian genocide,” among other demands, which would have made her a connection to a pro-Palestinian protest. The University of Alabama’s College Democrats chapter issued a scathing condemnation of her arrest. They highlighted the troubling, even retaliatory nature of the actions taken against her.
Ozturk was arrested upon leaving home to open her fast with friends in observance of the holy month of Ramadan. Masked, plainclothes officers accosted her on the street, as shown in the viral video footage shared on social media. So they brought her to jail. A federal judge had ruled that DHS must provide advance notice if they planned to relocate Ozturk outside the state. Instead of honoring that notice, they suddenly transported her to an ICE detention center in Louisiana.
The University of Alabama has acted quickly and decisively since the incident. They are deeply invested in serving the international student population and actively engaging with our federal partners.
"International students studying at the university are valued members of the campus community," said Alex House, a university spokesperson.
House assured that the university "has and will continue to follow all immigration laws and cooperate with federal authorities."
Ozturk’s arrest appears to be part of a larger crackdown on students involved with pro-Palestinian activism. Just recently, a US judge had to step in and stop immigration officials from detaining Yunseo Chung, a Columbia University undergraduate who took part in Gaza solidarity protests.
The Massachusetts director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations further expressed outrage at Ozturk’s detention.
"We unequivocally condemn the abduction of a young Muslim hijab-wearing scholar by masked federal agents in broad daylight. This alarming act of repression is a direct assault on free speech and academic freedom," expressed the director.
The University of Alabama’s international student and scholar services center is not waiting to help. They are providing reassurance to students who are uncertain about their futures. In the meantime, Ozturk’s lawyers are still fighting for her rights and countering the baseless claims against her.