Outrage grows after Tufts student detained by ICE, Marco Rubio defends action
Protesters rallied before the Somerville City Council Thursday, pushing councilors to help get Rumeysa Ozturk released.
The outrage is growing the longer the Tufts PhD student stays in ICE custody. It comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted they detained the international student because of her activism.
On Tuesday, federal agents detained the Turkish national in Somerville and revoked her visa, claiming she engaged in activities supporting terrorist organization Hamas.
But her supporters say she is being targeted for her political beliefs.
"Even if she did have some Pro-Hamas views-which again I disagree with, that's her right, we don't take people's rights away because you disagree with them that's not what this country has ever been founded on," said longtime Somerville resident Michael Johnson.
Last year, Ozturk was one of the authors of an op-ed calling for Tufts University to acknowledge genocide in Palestine. Tufts was also the site of a pro-Palestinian encampment.
Marco Rubio on student visas
On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the case.
"If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason you are coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus--we're not going to give you a visa," said Rubio.
Rubio said at least 300 foreign students' visas have been revoked.
The secretary added it was "crazy" and "stupid" for any country to issue visas to anyone that intends to be disruptive on college campuses.
"Once you've lost your visa, you're no longer legally in the United States. And we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country. So, it's just that simple," added Rubio.
Rumeysa Ozturk was quickly taken out of Massachusetts to a Central Louisiana ICE Detention Center before a federal judge issued an order limiting the government's ability to move her.
Immigration officials were ordered by the judge to provide more information about the detainment by Friday.
