politics
January 26, 2026
Unsealed court documents suggest Trump admin detained Tufts student for writing op-ed critical of Israel
Newly unsealed court documents show the Trump administration did not have evidence that Tufts University PhD student Rümeysa Öztürk was supporting terrorist activity when she was arrested and her visa was revoked, and the action was taken because of an opinion article she wrote that contained criticisms of Israel.
TL;DR
- Court documents show the Trump administration lacked evidence that Rümeysa Öztürk was supporting terrorism when her visa was revoked.
- The revocation appeared to be linked to an opinion article Öztürk co-authored criticizing Israel and the university's response to student activists.
- Investigations by DHS and ICE found no evidence of Öztürk engaging in antisemitic activity or supporting a terrorist organization.
- Despite the lack of direct evidence, a State Department official recommended Öztürk's visa revocation based on 'the totality of circumstances.'
- Öztürk was detained and faced deportation after her student visa was revoked.
- A judge ordered Öztürk's release last May, stating that continued detention could chill the speech of non-citizens.