US judge halts deportation of Turkish student at Tufts accused of supporting Hamas

A federal judge in Massachusetts temporarily halted the deportation of Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University.

Ozturk, 30, who voiced support for Palestinians during Israel’s war in Gaza, was detained earlier this week by US immigration officials who have accused her, without evidence, of supporting Hamas.

The US Department of Homeland Security has accused Rumeysa Ozturk of “engaging in activities in support of Hamas,” which the US government designates as a “foreign terrorist organization.” However, no evidence has been provided to substantiate these claims. Ozturk’s legal team argues that she is being unfairly targeted for her advocacy of Palestinian rights.

Oncu Keceli, a spokesperson for Turkey’s foreign ministry, said efforts to secure Ozturk’s release continued, adding consular and legal support was being provided by Turkish diplomatic missions in the US.

“Our Houston Consul General visited our citizen in the center where she is being held in Louisiana on March 28. Our citizen’s requests and demands have been forwarded to local authorities and her lawyer,” Keceli said in a post on X.

Ozturk’s arrest came a year after she co-authored an opinion piece in Tufts’ student newspaper criticizing the university’s response to calls by students to divest from companies with ties to Israel and to “acknowledge the Palestinian genocide.”

In an order issued Friday, US District Judge Denise Casper in Boston temporarily halted Ozturk’s deportation to allow time to determine whether her court retained jurisdiction over the case. She directed the Trump administration to respond to Ozturk’s complaint by Tuesday.

President Donald Trump has vowed to deport foreign pro-Palestinian protesters, accusing them of supporting Hamas, promoting antisemitism, and creating foreign policy challenges.

The administration has reportedly revoked the visas of several students and protesters, with claims of over 300 visas being rescinded.

(With input from Reuters)