The President of Tufts University filed a declaration in support of a motion filed in federal court by Rümeysa Öztürk, a student at the institution.

Öztürk was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 26 in Summerville, Massachusetts, following the revocation of her visa by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). A Department of Homeland Security representative previously informed Fox News Digital that Öztürk had been “permitted the privilege to reside in this country on a visa.”

The representative stated that investigations by DHS and ICE “uncovered Öztürk’s involvement in activities supporting Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization known for targeting Americans.”

“Praising and backing terrorists who harm Americans is sufficient cause for visa cancellation. This is a straightforward security measure,” the representative noted.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News on Wednesday that Öztürk had been “granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa” and that “DHS and ICE investigations found Öztürk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans.”  (AP)

Kumar added that the university had received a notice on March 25 that Öztürk’s visa was canceled because she was a “non-immigrant status violator” of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. The notice went on to say that Öztürk’s presence in the United States could result in “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”

Kumar asked the federal judge to release Öztürk “without delay.”

Öztürk’s legal team previously told Fox News that the student had a valid F-1 visa before her arrest and said that no charges have been filed.

The legal team representing Öztürk told Fox News she had valid F-1 visa status prior to her arrest. (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe)

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani granted a habeas petition on March 25 requesting that Öztürk not be removed from the District of Massachusetts; however, the student had already been removed at that point.

In March 2024, Öztürk co-authored an op-ed in the Tufts Daily, calling on the university to divest from Israel.