No evidence linking Tufts student to 'antisemitism', 'terrorism'
4 Min Read
The State Department determined that the Trump administration had not produced any evidence showing that Rumeysa Ozturk engaged in "antisemitic" activities or made pro-Hamas statements.
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Hundreds of people gather in Somerville, Mass., to protest Rümeysa Öztürk’s detention, on March 26, 2025 (AP)
Days before ICE detained Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk for deportation, the State Department concluded there was no evidence supporting the Trump administration’s claims that she engaged in antisemitism or supported terrorism and found no grounds to revoke her visa.
According to a March memo reported by The Washington Post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio lacked sufficient reasons to revoke Ozturk's visa under an authority that empowers the senior US diplomat to protect the country's foreign policy interests.
The Department of Homeland Security has previously accused Ozturk of engaging in activities “in support of Hamas," but neither that agency nor US prosecutors have provided evidence that supports that claim.
The suspension of Ozturk's visa is part of the Trump administration's broader campaign against overseas students and academics, which includes hundreds of visa revocations.
Ozturk, a 30-year-old doctorate student from Turkey, was targeted by the government after co-writing an op-ed in the Tufts student newspaper last year condemning the university's approach to the Israeli war on Gaza.
A hearing in Ozturk's case is set on Monday in federal court in Vermont. Her attorneys argue that her prospective deportation would violate the US' basic values of free speech.
The Department of Homeland Security recommended revoking Rumeysa Ozturk’s visa under a law allowing deportation if the secretary of state believes a foreigner's presence poses adverse policy consequences for the US, according to a memo reviewed by The Post.
DHS originally recommended the revocation of Ozturk’s visa under an authority in the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows for the deportation of a foreigner if the secretary of state has reasonable grounds to believe the person’s presence has "adverse policy consequences for the United States," according to a copy of a separate memo reviewed by The Post and sent by DHS to the State Department before her detention last month.
“OZTURK engaged in anti-Israel activism in the wake of the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israelis on October 7, 2023,” the memo details.
The State Department, after receiving a recommendation from DHS, found no evidence linking Rumeysa Ozturk to "antisemitic" activities or support for "terrorism", despite her protest against Tufts' relationship with "Israel".
The memo also stated that a check of US government databases for Ozturk yielded no terrorism-related information on her.
Due to a lack of proof, the government stated that she might be deported under a separate power under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which permits the secretary of state to revoke a visa at his or her discretion.
In a second letter dated March 21 and acquired by The Post, the State Department advised DHS that Ozturk's visa revocation had been "approved" under discretionary power.
When challenged about canceling Ozturk's visa, Rubio has repeatedly said that her transgressions extend far beyond co-writing an opinion post for a student publication, warning reporters against relying on media reports.
In another conversation with reporters, he alleged that Ozturk's expulsion is "not just because you want to write op-eds" but because she desires to participate in "vandalism, harassment of students, and building takeovers."
When challenged about Rubio's argument in light of the State Department report stating a lack of proof that Ozturk participated in "antisemitism", the State Department pointed to a recent Rubio op-ed published by Fox News in which he wrote, “Visiting America is not an entitlement,” but rather “a privilege extended to those who respect our laws and values. "
