Turkish student detained in US should not be deported for now, judge orders

29 March 2025, 01:48 | Updated: 29 March 2025, 05:06

A judge in the US has ordered that a Turkish student should not be deported after she was detained by immigration officials.

Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctoral student, was detained near her Massachusetts home earlier this week after she voiced support for Palestinians.

The federal judge in Massachusetts ordered on Friday that she should not be deported for now.

A video of the arrest by masked federal agents went viral after her detention at around 5.30pm on Tuesday.

The student is seen yelling as she is handcuffed, while one person is heard telling her: "We're the police."

A man is heard asking the six "why are you hiding your faces?" before agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lead her away.

"To allow the court's resolution of its jurisdiction to decide the petition, Ozturk shall not be removed from the United States until further order of this court," Friday's order in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts said.

The DHS has accused Ms Ozturk of "engaging in activities in support of Hamas", but has not provided evidence.

The group is categorised as a "foreign terrorist organisation" by the US government.

In a post on X, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin accused Ms Ozturk of "glorifying and supporting terrorists" and said it was "grounds for visa issuance to be terminated".