The Trump administration's immigration crackdown intensified this week after the arrest of a Tufts University doctoral student by hooded federal agents sparked widespread concern about the suppression of free speech and due process. The incident follows Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement that over 300 foreign students have had their visas revoked in the past three weeks under a new federal initiative targeting pro-Palestinian activism on college campuses.
Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national and doctoral candidate at Tufts, was detained in Somerville, Massachusetts, by plainclothes Department of Homeland Security agents in an ambush-style arrest caught on video. Ozturk, who was wearing a hijab and walking to break her Ramadan fast with friends, was confronted by men in hoodies and forcibly removed from the street, according to her attorney Mahsa Khanbabai.
A spokesperson for DHS claimed Ozturk was "engaged in activities in support of Hamas," though no specific evidence has been released. The arrest occurred shortly after the Canary Mission, a pro-Israel watchdog group, flagged Ozturk's online activism to federal authorities. Ozturk had co-authored an op-ed in The Tufts Daily calling for "the equal dignity and humanity of all people, including Palestinians." She has since been transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Basile, Louisiana.
Ozturk's arrest is one of several high-profile detentions under the State Department's "Catch and Revoke" initiative, spearheaded by Rubio and empowered by the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act. The program focuses on foreign students involved in anti-Israel protests and aims to revoke visas or deport those deemed a threat. "Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa," Rubio said Thursday during a press conference in Guyana. "Maybe more, it might be more than 300 at this point."
Rubio added that the administration is investigating U.S. universities with a large number of "pro-Hamas" students to potentially bar them from admitting international students.
Civil liberties groups have condemned the arrests as unconstitutional. "What happened to Rumeysa Ozturk is chilling. Taken off the street by masked agents in unmarked cars is something we associate with authoritarian regimes, not a country that claims to uphold the rule of law," said Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America's Voice.
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and a Tufts alum, also spoke out against the actions: "Jewish safety is inextricably linked with inclusive democracy in which everyone's fundamental rights are protected."
The administration's stated justification is the fight against antisemitism. However, critics argue that the crackdown targets dissent and is part of a broader ideological push aligned with Christian nationalism. A senior State Department official referred to the targeted students as "Hamasniks," suggesting ideological guilt by association. Notably, U.S. law designates Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization, but no criminal charges have been publicly filed against Ozturk.
Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident and organizer of pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, has also been detained under the same program. Advocates say legal residents like Khalil are now vulnerable despite not being accused of criminal conduct.
In Congress, Speaker Mike Johnson has floated eliminating some federal courts following unfavorable rulings against administration policies. Some Republicans have called for impeaching federal judges who rule against immigration enforcement actions.
Anthony DiMaggio, author of Rising Fascism in America, warned, "There is a concern here that we may be moving in that direction in terms of fascist ideology if people are not afforded the rule of law."
