Scholar Rumeysa Ozturk returns to Turkiye following Trump deportation push
Al Jazeera • • nation
Key Points:
- Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student targeted for deportation under the Trump administration due to her pro-Palestinian advocacy, has chosen to return to Turkiye after a yearlong legal battle.
- Ozturk was arrested in March 2025 by plain-clothed immigration officers outside her Massachusetts apartment, with authorities accusing her of supporting Hamas without evidence.
- The Trump administration used the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 to justify deportations of pro-Palestinian scholars, viewing their activism as anti-Semitic despite First Amendment protections.
- After spending 45 days in ICE detention under harsh conditions, Ozturk was released following a habeas corpus petition, and an immigration judge later dismissed her deportation case, which the administration appealed.
- A recent settlement allows Ozturk to leave the U.S. without interference, and she expressed solidarity with other scholars facing persecution for their advocacy, emphasizing the privilege of hosting international academics.
