Controversy Erupts: US to Releasing Detained Turkish Grad Student
Imprisoned Turkmen female set for American freedom discharge.
A United States court has decided to free a Turkish graduate student detained for nearly six weeks in Massachusetts. The ruling was made as the student's detention was deemed illegal, as reported by several US media outlets.
The student attended Tufts University and was taken into custody at the end of March. A video of her arrest, captured by surveillance cameras, has sparked outcry in the States, displaying multiple men in dark civilian clothing, some with hoodies, closing in on the frightened PhD student before taking her away.
News Flash Student Released, Hamas Accusation Sparks Outrage The US government, under President Donald Trump, alleges her of backing the terrorist group Hamas. In a controversial article published in a university newspaper in 2024, she advocated for her university to acknowledge a genocide committed against Palestinians.
When asked about the situation, Trump's spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, stated she was unaware of the court's decision. Leavitt added, "Lower court judges should not dictate the foreign policy of the United States." She further asserted that a US visa is not a right, but a privilege.
The US government has recently taken several international students into custody, accusing them of supporting Hamas. The case of activist Mahmud Chalil, arrested in his New York apartment several weeks ago and transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, is the most high-profile instance. Chalil, a graduate of Columbia University, possesses a green card.
With growing tension, some Republican and pro-Israel groups have accused protesters of antisemitism. This has led to increased federal actions against international students allegedly supporting Hamas or related causes, although formal charges for "supporting Hamas" have yet to be specified.
Amidst this contentious campus environment, recent reports indicate a wave of arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters on university campuses. For example, about 80 protesters were detained at Columbia University on May 7, 2025, while occupying a campus library reading room[1]. As students continue to protest for their universities to divest from companies associated with Israel, charges against them have yet to be dropped.
[1] American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. (n.d.). History of the ADC. Retrieved from https://www.adc.org/about-us/history/
- Detentions
- Antisemitism
- Hamas
- Donald Trump
- Students
- Protests
- Divestment
- Palestine
- Israel
- The ongoing detention of international students, including the recently released Turkish graduate student, has fueled allegations of supporting Hamas by the US government, with President Donald Trump at the helm.
- The arrest and subsequent detention of pro-Palestinian students on university campuses, such as the 80 protesters at Columbia University, has sparked international controversy, raising concerns about antisemitism and freedom of speech.
- The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers, including students, from the risks related to the politically charged and increasingly dystopian aspects of exposure to accusations of supporting Hamas or related causes.
- Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for President Trump, has spoken out on the student's situation, stating that lower court judges should not dictate the foreign policy of the United States, thereby implying that students' visas are privileges, not rights.
