The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Turkish student Rümeysa Öztürk, who was handcuffed and detained by Customs and Border Protection officials, will have her student visa revoked and will be deported.

Rubio addressed a question regarding Öztürk during an event at the ministry.

He confirmed the cancellation of Öztürk’s F1 student visa. Explaining the policies under which visas can be revoked, Rubio said, “If you apply for a visa to enter the United States as a student and tell us that your reason for coming to the US is not just to write op-eds but to disrupt universities, harass students, take over buildings, engage in activities intended to cause chaos, we won’t give you a visa, and if we do, we will take it away from you as soon as you arrive and engage in such activities.” The US Secretary of State also underscored that losing a visa will lead to losing legal status in the US, making it grounds for deportation. He emphasized, “Once you lose your visa, you are no longer legally in the United States, and just like any other country in the world, we have the right to remove you from our country. It’s that simple.” Accusing Öztürk of attempting to “incite a rebellion on campus,” Secretary Rubio stressed, “We grant you a visa to study and earn a degree, not to become a social activist who burns down our university campuses. If we granted you a visa, and you decide to engage in such actions, we will revoke your visa.” DETAINED WHILE LEAVING HER HOME TO GO TO IFTAR Rümeysa Öztürk, who completed her high school education with top honors in Turkey and holds dual university degrees, followed by continuing her Ph.D. on a Fulbright scholarship in the US, was detained by undercover ICE agents on the evening of March 25 as she was leaving her home in Massachusetts to attend an iftar dinner. The incident was recorded as ICE officers handcuffed the Turkish student from behind, while her vocal objections were captured on camera. Öztürk’s attorney Mahsa Khanbabai announced that they lost contact with their client. Tufts University stated that the university administration was not informed about the detention process. Concerned friends of Öztürk shared the information that the Canary Mission website, which profiles individuals who support Palestinian protests across US universities, had previously published personal information on Öztürk along with an image of an article she wrote last year on the same topic. US Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren described the detention of Rümeysa Öztürk as “the latest example of a disturbing pattern aimed at undermining civil liberties.” A senior spokesperson from the US Department of Homeland Security alleged that Öztürk had engaged in activities incompatible with her student visa. Öztürk’s detention occurred amidst a period when the Trump administration has been intensifying pressure on Palestinian supporters among students and academics. Previously, Palestinian activist Mahmud Halil and recently graduated Columbia University student was also detained. Georgetown University researcher Badar Han Suri faced deportation allegations for “Hamas propaganda and antisemitism,” however, US Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles halted the decision.