U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday that the State Department may have revoked over 300 visas, as the Trump administration intensifies efforts against foreign students involved in pro-Palestinian activism. Speaking in Guyana, Rubio confirmed that the department revoked the visa of Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk, a Fulbright Scholar pursuing a doctorate at Tufts University.
Ozturk was detained Tuesday in Somerville, Massachusetts, by plainclothes agents. Though no specific allegations were made, Rubio warned that students participating in acts such as “vandalizing universities, harassing peers, or taking over buildings” would have their visas revoked. He did not confirm whether Ozturk had engaged in such activities.
Ozturk, legally residing in the U.S. on an F-1 visa, co-authored a 2023 op-ed in the Tufts Daily criticizing the university’s stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict and calling for divestment from companies linked to Israel. Her lawyer, Mahsa Khanbabai, insists Ozturk hasn’t committed any crime and argues that her detention violates free speech rights.
A federal judge ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to keep Ozturk in Massachusetts, but the Justice Department revealed she was already transferred to Louisiana. Her lawyer filed a lawsuit, calling the move unlawful and politically motivated.
Critics say the Trump administration’s visa revocations target students based on political expression, branding peaceful activism as a threat to U.S. policy. Supporters of Ozturk argue her case highlights growing restrictions on free speech, especially for international students supporting Palestinian rights.
Rubio, speaking later in Suriname, stated, “We want them out. Every one of them I find, we’re going to kick them out,” underscoring the administration's hardline stance on dissent related to the Gaza conflict.