In a moment that has quickly become symbolic of growing fears within Muslim and immigrant communities in the U.S., 29-year-old PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk was ambushed on a Somerville, Massachusetts sidewalk by federal agents and disappeared into an unmarked SUV. The chilling arrest, caught on surveillance video, unfolded Tuesday night as Ozturk was walking to meet friends and break her Ramadan fast.
A disorienting and silent apprehension
In the video, agents dressed in civilian clothes—some eventually masking their faces—surround Ozturk without clearly identifying themselves. Her panicked pleas—"I need to call someone"—are met with silence or a vague "We’re the police. Relax." Witnesses questioned the agents’ legitimacy. None responded. Seconds later, she was cuffed and taken away.
Ozturk’s lawyer said they were unaware of her location for hours. Eventually, The New York Times reported she had been transferred to a detention facility in central Louisiana, the same used to house Mahmoud Khalil, another Muslim detainee controversially accused—without evidence—of supporting Hamas.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed Ozturk’s visa was revoked due to her “support” of Hamas, which is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government. However, no legal charges have been filed. Observers note that Ozturk had recently co-authored a campus op-ed criticizing Israel and calling on Tufts University to acknowledge the International Court of Justice’s genocide warning on Gaza—an article that made no mention of Hamas.
Fear and silence in Muslim student circles
The arrest is being viewed as part of a wider campaign by the Trump administration to suppress Muslim and pro-Palestinian voices. Advocacy groups like Canary Mission, which compile blacklists of such students, are believed to be informally aiding federal scrutiny. Ozturk had reportedly tried to erase her online presence after appearing on one of their lists.
As reported by Slate, this incident is striking even in a post-9/11 era shaped by mass surveillance and suspicion. With no formal charges, no explanation, and no warning, critics argue this amounts to state abduction.
Muslim American commentators warn the case signals a chilling expansion of government power. Today it’s international students. Tomorrow, it could be anyone.
