Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University and former Fulbright scholar Rümeysa Öztürk was abducted by plainclothes Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Somerville, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, March 25. According to the Associated Press, Öztürk was swiftly moved to an immigrant detention center in Louisiana. Her lawyers were unable to contact her until Wednesday night — approximately 24 hours after her arrest.
Öztürk’s abduction is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to stifle “pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity” on college campuses across the nation. This label has been broadly applied to student protest movements emerging in support of Palestine or to criticize the conduct of Israel in Gaza. Notably, the Trump administration has opted to target foreign students who engage in such political activity.
Öztürk’s detainment is a clear miscarriage of justice. While the Department of Homeland Security claims that Öztürk engaged in activities that support Hamas, no evidence has been provided to support this claim. The only activity Öztürk was confirmed to have engaged in that supports this premise was her co-authoring an oOp-ed in a Tufts University newspaper calling for the administration to engage with the demands of student protestors and consider cutting ties with Israel. If this is the justification provided for Öztürk’s detainment, the Trump Administration has blatantly disregarded the First Amendment.
According to the BBC, Secretary of State Marco Rubio claims the U.S. has revoked approximately 300 student visas as part of this sweeping effort.
“We gave you a visa to come and study and get a degree, not to become a social activist that tears up our university campus,” Rubio said. “We’ve given you a visa and you decide to do that, we’re going to take it away.”
At this point, there has been no evidence provided that Öztürk engaged in activity that warrants her deportation. The actions taken by the Trump administration to detain Öztürk and attempt to deport her without following due process is a clear violation of her free speech protections.
The evidence and justification provided for Öztürk’s arrest by the Department of Homeland Security are insufficient. Öztürk has not been accused of a crime, and if she is not charged, she should be released. The Trump administration cannot turn a blind eye to the pillars of the justice system when committing this crusade against political activism.
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