Support WBUR
Boston's Morning Newsletter
Why was Tufts student Rumeysa Ozturk detained by ICE? Here's what we know
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
Bust out your quack-ers. Duck boat season begins today.
But first, the news:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio took responsibility yesterday for revoking the student visa of Rumeysa Ozturk, the PhD student at Tufts University who was detained by immigration officials Tuesday night in Somerville, sparking local outcry. During a visit to Guyana, Rubio told reporters the 30-year-old Turkish national's criticism of Israel's response to the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas was why her visa was revoked — though he gave no evidence it was anything more than an op-ed in the Tufts student newspaper.
- In Rubio's words: "If you apply for a visa to enter the United States and be a student, and you tell us that the reason why you're coming to the United States is not just because you want to write op-eds, but because you want to participate in movements that are involved in doing things like vandalizing universities, harassing students, taking over buildings, creating a ruckus — we're not going to give you a visa," he said, adding "that sort of activity" would also be enough to revoke existing visas. (While Tufts was one of many colleges across the country where pro-Palestinian protesters staged encampments last spring, Rubio provided no specifics about Ozturk's involvement.)
- What do we know about Ozturk's activism? To date, the only known example is a Tufts Daily opinion piece she co-bylined just over a year ago. The piece primarily took aim at Tufts leaders' response to student protesters' demands that the school disclose and divest its relationships with companies with ties to Israel. It also harshly criticized the Israeli government for "oppressing the Palestinian people."
- Why was she targeted? It's unclear. Ozturk wasn't known as a prominent leader in the Israel protests. But last month, she was added to the Canary Mission list — an anonymously-operated website that publishes personal information of Israel critics.
- The reaction: Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who counts Ozturk as a constituent, was among many local leaders who said her detainment amounted to a "harrowing" attack on free speech. "It's consistent with the actions of a dictator that seeks to silence, dissenting voices, and everyone should be afraid," Pressley told WBUR's Amy Sokolow.
- Zoom out: Rubio estimated he's revoked at least 300 visas, in the wake of President Trump's threat to deport foreign nationals who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.
- Go deeper: WBUR's Jesús Marrero Suárez has the latest on the legal battle over Ozturk's detainment, as she continues to be held in an ICE processing center in Louisiana.
Meanwhile: Harvard Medical School researcher and Russian national Kseniia Petrova is facing deportation after she had her research visa revoked last month for failing to properly declare frog embryo samples upon re-entering the country at Logan Airport. Petrova's lawyer said such violations are typically punished by a $500 fine. Instead, she has been detained for nearly six weeks. The Harvard Crimson has more details on the case here.
Knock on wood? Despite concerns about potential federal funding rollbacks, MBTA leaders said none of their projects have been interrupted since Trump took office. During a meeting yesterday, T general manager Phil Eng said no grants awarded during the Biden administration have since been rejected or taken back.
- In total, WBUR's Andrea Perdomo Hernandez reports the T got $613 million in federal grants last year for projects like replacing the North Station drawbridge and making the Green Line more accessible. "In some cases, there have been extra levels of review done in Washington, but even in those cases, we've seen those dollars come," Eng said.
Look up — maybe: Time to look for your eclipse glasses from last spring. A partial solar eclipse could be visible tomorrow morning across the Northeast — including Boston. NPR has all the details here, but let's zoom in on Boston:
- When is it? According to NASA, the eclipse will begin at 6:31 a.m., and peak pretty quickly thereafter at 6:38 a.m. At its maximum, the moon will block out 43% of the sun, compared to the 93% coverage we got last year.
- The big question: Saturday morning is looking pretty gloomy, so clouds could block out the sun anyway.
Out west: The WooSox open their fifth season today at Worcester — with a $5-themed promotion offering $5 general admission tickets, $5 hot dogs and $5 beer. The deals will run through the three-game weekend — a cheap opportunity to see two top Red Sox prospects before they're called up. (Still, it's hard to compete with the other minor league baseball promo being offered down the road.)
P.S.— What food item could lower the risk of depression, according to a recent study? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of the stories we covered this week.
