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Türkiye’s Consul General in Houston, Ahmet Akinti, announced that the hearing regarding the revocation of Rumeysa Ozturk’s visa—who was detained in the United States on March 25 and is currently held in a detention center in Louisiana—has been postponed to May 20.
Speaking to Turkish news agency Anadolu, Akinti addressed the latest developments concerning Ozturk, a Turkish Ph.D. student detained in the United States for allegedly expressing support for Palestine.
Akinti recalled that Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University in Boston, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on March 25 in Boston, Massachusetts, and later transferred to a detention center in Louisiana.
“Following Rumeysa Ozturk’s transfer to Louisiana, I have spoken with her both by phone and in person multiple times as Türkiye’s Consul General in Houston, affirming that Türkiye stands by her,” he said.
He noted that the initial hearing concerning Ozturk’s immigration status and the U.S. State Department’s cancellation of her F1 student visa took place on April 16 at an immigration court in Louisiana. Ozturk was present at the hearing with her legal team.
Turkish academic Rumeysa Ozturk detained by US authorities after being targeted by pro-Israel groups for Palestine protests
◼️ Ozturk recently co-authored article condemning Israel's actions in Gaza
◼️She now faces deportation despite holding a valid F-1 visa pic.twitter.com/XEzbZobcXK
— Türkiye Today (@turkiyetodaycom) March 26, 2025
Akinti stated that the court denied the request for Ozturk’s release on bail and added, “The judge had set a follow-up hearing for May 1, 2025, to determine whether he has the authority to review the legality of the U.S. State Department’s decision to cancel Rumeysa Ozturk’s F1 visa. However, that hearing has now been postponed to May 20, 2025.”
He also highlighted that a separate legal case challenging Ozturk’s detention is ongoing in the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont.
“Although that court issued a ruling on April 18, 2025, ordering that Rumeysa Ozturk be transferred to Vermont by May 1, 2025, the U.S. government has appealed the decision. As a result, the transfer process has been halted. This process is also being closely followed by our Boston Consulate General,” Akinti said.
He emphasized that Turkish officials, particularly the Embassy in Washington, are monitoring the legal proceedings closely.
“We are in contact with her, her family, and her lawyers. We are providing all necessary consular assistance to our citizen,” he stated.
Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained on March 25 by ICE agents in Massachusetts for co-authoring an op-ed in the university’s student newspaper last year regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Following her detention, authorities transported her through multiple states before flying her to Louisiana.
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