Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student at Tufts University, was detained in Somerville, MA, by masked agents claiming to be police, without charges or transparency.
The Trump administration alleges she supported Hamas, citing unverified intelligence, after her student visa was revoked.
Der Spiegel linked her detention to pro-Palestinian advocacy, including an opinion piece urging divestment from Israel.
The incident sparked outrage, highlighting long-standing surveillance and detainment of Muslim Americans under national security pretenses.
Civil liberties advocates warn of increasing government overreach targeting minority communities.
One of the men goes for her phone. The other grabs at her hands. Ozturk screams. Shock and fear ripple through her voice. Two masked women join them, tugging at her backpack, peeling the straps from her shoulders. “I’m going somewhere, I need to call someone,” she pleads. “We’re the police. Relax,” one of the men says in response.
They surround her. Then, one by one, they pull their neck gaiters up to cover their faces. “You don’t look like police,” a voice off screen says. “Why are you hiding your faces?” The questions continue, but the figures don’t respond. Instead, they cuff Ozturk, cross the street, and put her in an unmarked SUV. She is gone.