300 student visas pulled in wake of pro-Palestinian protests

This week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to clarify the Trump administration’s “right” to rescind student visas and deport international students who are critical of Israel’s U.S.-backed war on Palestine. However, his bold assertions may have led to even more confusion around what immigration experts say are illegal new procedures. Rubio made the comments at a press conference Thursday in response to a question about the arrest of Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national who wrote an op-ed that offered a narrative critical of Israel’s siege. He said that at least 300 student visas have already been revoked, but said he hopes it’s even more. “If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason why you’re 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,” Rubio told reporters. Rubio continued, seeming to offer the perspective that the U.S. is within its rights to remove those who use their voices against the administration’s stance. “And we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio asserted. Rubio’s language this week conjured up images of violent and destructive protests. And President Donald Trump has accused protesters and others whose visas it has terminated of being “pro-Hamas,” however evidence has only pointed to students speaking out against what the United Nations has called a “genocide.” Rumeysa Ozturk wasn’t even protesting, but was one of four authors on an op-ed urging divestment “from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel.” The article made no mention of Hamas. In a jarring video of the student’s arrest, Ozturk is seen being cornered by ICE off-campus and taken into custody. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell called Ozturk’s arrest “disturbing” in a statement on social media. “Based on what we know now, it is alarming that the federal administration chose to ambush and detain her, apparently targeting a law-abiding individual because of her political views.” Mahsa Khanbabai, attorney at Khanbabai Immigration Law, who is part of Ozturk’s legal team said, per the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called Ozturk’s treatment “shocking, cruel, and unconstitutional.” Khanbabai said, “For nearly 24 hours, we could not locate her, and despite a court order to prevent the government from taking her out of Massachusetts, we finally learned the Trump administration had shipped her to Louisiana. Criticizing U.S. foreign policy and human rights violations is neither illegal nor grounds for detention. The government must immediately release Rümeysa to continue her studies and rejoin her community.”Ozturk is currently being held at a federal detention facility in Louisiana—the same location where Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia graduate student who was arrested on March 8 for organizing student protests, remains.

Mar 28, 2025 - 19:27

300 student visas pulled in wake of pro-Palestinian protests

This week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to clarify the Trump administration’s “right” to rescind student visas and deport international students who are critical of Israel’s U.S.-backed war on Palestine. However, his bold assertions may have led to even more confusion around what immigration experts say are illegal new procedures.

Rubio made the comments at a press conference Thursday in response to a question about the arrest of Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national who wrote an op-ed that offered a narrative critical of Israel’s siege. He said that at least 300 student visas have already been revoked, but said he hopes it’s even more. “If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason why you’re 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,” Rubio told reporters.

Rubio continued, seeming to offer the perspective that the U.S. is within its rights to remove those who use their voices against the administration’s stance. “And we have a right, like every country in the world has a right, to remove you from our country. We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visa,” Rubio asserted.

Rubio’s language this week conjured up images of violent and destructive protests. And President Donald Trump has accused protesters and others whose visas it has terminated of being “pro-Hamas,” however evidence has only pointed to students speaking out against what the United Nations has called a “genocide.” Rumeysa Ozturk wasn’t even protesting, but was one of four authors on an op-ed urging divestment “from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel.” The article made no mention of Hamas.

In a jarring video of the student’s arrest, Ozturk is seen being cornered by ICE off-campus and taken into custody. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell called Ozturk’s arrest “disturbing” in a statement on social media. “Based on what we know now, it is alarming that the federal administration chose to ambush and detain her, apparently targeting a law-abiding individual because of her political views.”

Mahsa Khanbabai, attorney at Khanbabai Immigration Law, who is part of Ozturk’s legal team said, per the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called Ozturk’s treatment “shocking, cruel, and unconstitutional.” Khanbabai said, “For nearly 24 hours, we could not locate her, and despite a court order to prevent the government from taking her out of Massachusetts, we finally learned the Trump administration had shipped her to Louisiana. Criticizing U.S. foreign policy and human rights violations is neither illegal nor grounds for detention. The government must immediately release Rümeysa to continue her studies and rejoin her community.”

Ozturk is currently being held at a federal detention facility in Louisiana—the same location where Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia graduate student who was arrested on March 8 for organizing student protests, remains.