Tufts University declares support for student detained by ICE, seeks immediate release

The President of Tufts University filed a declaration in support of a motion filed in federal court by Rümeysa Öztürk, a student at the institution.

Öztürk was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 26 in Summerville, Massachusetts, after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revoked her visa. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security previously told Fox News Digital that Öztürk was "granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa."

The spokesperson said that investigations by DHS and ICE "found Öztürk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans."

"Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is commonsense security," the spokesperson added.

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Rümeysa Öztürk, a 30-year-old doctoral student at Tufts University, is detained by Department of Homeland Security agents on a street in Sommerville, Mass., on Tuesday, March 25. (AP)

Öztürk is originally from Turkey.

Tufts University President Sunil Kumar said in the declaration of support that the institution has "no information" that supports the allegations from DHS and ICE.

"The University has no information to support the allegations that she was engaged in activities at Tufts that warrant her arrest and detention. The University has seen an outpouring of support for Ms. Öztürk over the last week from Tufts students, faculty and staff. These individuals have described Ms. Öztürk as a valued member of the community, dedicated to her academic pursuits and committed to her colleagues," Kumar wrote.

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A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News on Wednesday that Öztürk had been "granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa" and that "DHS and ICE investigations found Öztürk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans."  (AP)

Kumar added that the university had received a notice on March 25 that Öztürk's visa was canceled because she was a "non-immigrant status violator" of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. The notice went on to say that Öztürk's presence in the United States could result in "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States."

Kumar asked the federal judge to release Öztürk "without delay."

Öztürk's legal team previously told Fox News that the student had a valid F-1 visa before her arrest and said that no charges have been filed.

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The legal team representing Öztürk told Fox News she had valid F-1 visa status prior to her arrest. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe)

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani granted a habeas petition on March 25 requesting that Öztürk not be removed from the District of Massachusetts; however, the student had already been removed at that point.

In March 2024, Öztürk co-authored an op-ed in the Tufts Daily, calling on the university to divest from Israel.