Chicago March 28, 2025
The Trump administration has intensified its penalties against students who participated in protests against the war in Gaza, revoking the visas of over 300 alleged demonstrators. Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the move, stating that student visas were granted for educational purposes, not for social activism.
Rubio’s comments came amidst reports of foreign students being detained in the US for participating in pro-Palestine demonstrations. One such incident involved Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish-born PhD student, who was taken into custody by masked, plainclothes officers while heading to an Iftar dinner.
Öztürk, who co-authored an op-ed criticizing her university’s response to the war in Gaza, is currently being held in a federal facility in Louisiana. Her detention sparked protests in Somerville, with hundreds demanding her release and an end to what they termed “state-sanctioned kidnapping.”
Rubio pledged to continue arresting student activists, labeling them a threat to US national security and accusing them of damaging university property without providing evidence. The move has raised concerns about the administration’s stance on free speech and student activism.
