Chilling footage shows moment federal agents detain university student legally living in the US

Footage caught in Boston shows the moment a university student who was living legally in the US was detained by agents from the Department of Homeland Security.

Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, had just left her home in Somerville to meet friends for iftar, when they would break their Ramadan fast, when she was stopped by authorities on Tuesday (March 25).

Ozturk is Muslim and a Turkish national, but was living legally in the US with a visa as she studied for her decorate at Tufts University.

In the footage, six people with their faces covered could be seen approaching Ozturk and taking her phone away from her.

The woman was placed in handcuffs as they told her they were 'the police' - though neighbors who later spoke to the Associated Press said the encounter looked more like a 'kidnapping'

Michael Mathis, whose surveillance camera captured the arrest, said: “They approach her and start grabbing her with their faces covered. They’re covering their faces. They’re in unmarked vehicles.”

The footage shows the officers only showed their badges after Ozturk was already restrained with her hands behind her back.

Ozturk's lawyer has claimed the student is being held without explanation, and has filed a petition in Boston federal court in the wake of her arrest.

Ozturk's phone was taken from her when she was arrested (WCVB Channel 5 Boston)

“We are unaware of her whereabouts and have not been able to contact her. No charges have been filed against Rumeysa to date that we are aware of,” lawyer Mahsa Khanbabai said.

In a statement, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson accused Ozturk of engaging 'in activities in support of Hamas'.

They said: "Rumesya Ozturk is a Turkish national and Tufts University graduate student, granted the privilege to be in this country on a visa. DHS and ICE investigations found Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans. A visa is a privilege not a right. Glorifying and supporting terrorists who kill Americans is grounds for visa issuance to be terminated. This is commonsense security."

The spokesperson did not elaborate on what the alleged activities were.

In March 2024, Ozturk contributed to an op-ed in the newspaper at Tufts in which she criticized the university’s response to the pro-Palestinian movement.

Tufts University President Sunil Kumar said the school had learned that an international student's visa had been terminated, adding: “The university had no pre-knowledge of this incident and did not share any information with federal authorities prior to the event."

Tufts University is aware of Ozturk's arrest (Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Kumar added: “We recognize how frightening and distressing this situation is for her, her loved ones, and the larger community here at Tufts, especially our international students, staff, and faculty who may be feeling vulnerable or unsettled by these events."

Democratic US Rep. Ayanna Pressley has described the arrest as a 'horrifying violation of Rumeysa’s constitutional rights to due process and free speech'.

“She must be immediately released,” Pressley said. “We won’t stand by while the Trump Administration continues to abduct students with legal status and attack our fundamental freedoms.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said on March 26 that Ozturk had been transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile following her arrest.