Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Mar 29: US secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday defended the revocation of Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk’s visa, stating that international students must abide by the terms of their stay. He emphasized that those who violate visa conditions would face consequences.

The move comes after Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by federal agents outside her apartment in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Tuesday night. She was allegedly engaged in activities beyond the scope of her student visa. Homeland security officials claimed she had supported Hamas, which led to the termination of her visa.

Ozturk’s lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, has expressed concern over her whereabouts, stating that no charges have been filed against her. A federal court judge in Massachusetts has ruled that she cannot be removed from the state without prior notice to the court, though it remains unclear whether authorities have complied.

The case has sparked concern at Tufts University, with president Sunil Kumar stating that the institution had no prior knowledge of Ozturk’s detention. Ozturk, known for her campus activism, had previously co-authored an opinion piece criticizing the university’s stance on Palestinian issues.