Boston, Massachusetts - Tufts University on Wednesday publicly backed its student Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish national detained by federal agents last week as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism.

In a legal declaration signed by the Massachusetts university's president Sunil Kumar, Tufts demands that the 30-year-old doctoral candidate be "released without delay so that she can return to complete her studies and finish her degree" at the school.

Video of Öztürk's arrest by masked agents on a sidewalk has sparked outrage online, and added to concerns about freedom of speech and respect for due process under Trump.

Tufts is taking a stand as Trump has targeted prestigious universities that became the epicenter of the student protest movement against Israel's US-backed assault on Gaza, stripping federal funds and directing immigration officers to deport foreign student demonstrators.

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In its statement, the school asserted that it has "no information to support the allegations that [Öztürk] was engaged in activities at Tufts that warrant her arrest and detention."

It described Öztürk as "a valued member of the community, dedicated to her academic pursuits and committed to her colleagues," and said she had received an outpouring of support from students and staff.

Öztürk co-authored an article in the university student newspaper in March 2024 criticizing the college's handling of student demands around Israel's war on Gaza. She is contesting her detention in a federal court in Massachusetts.

Trump has targeted institutions including New York's Columbia University, initially putting $400 million of funding under review; detaining for deportation Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student linked to the Palestinian liberation movement; and seeking to arrest others.

Columbia then announced a package of concessions to the government around defining antisemitism, policing protests, and oversight for specific academic departments.

The Trump administration said a review of Ivy League college's funding was "ongoing."

The US government will also review some $9 billion in funding for Harvard University over alleged antisemitism on its campus, authorities said this week.