Writing an Op-Ed is Not Grounds for Deportation
Since January, the Trump administration has abducted several international students and faculty and detained them thousands of miles away from their loved ones all because these scholars have spoken about Israel and Palestine in ways the government doesn’t like. But criticizing U.S. foreign policy, or voicing any other opinion, is protected by the First Amendment—no matter your immigration status.
The ACLU and its partners are representing Rümeysa Öztürk, a Fulbright scholar and Ph.D. student at Tufts University who was arrested and detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Somerville, MA.
Rümeysa Öztürk's legal team
On Monday, April 14, Ms. Öztürk’s legal team asked the Vermont federal judge to affirm that the case should stay in Vermont, and to order her immediate release from ICE detention before she is further harmed by the government’s unconstitutional actions.
So, What Happened?
On March 25, Ms. Öztürk was planning to go to an iftar dinner with friends. Instead, while walking near her apartment, she was approached and then grabbed by a hooded man. Other figures soon closed in, including several wearing face coverings and dark clothing. Finally, one officer flashed a badge; however, in recent court filings Ms. Öztürk has attested that she did not know they were immigration officers and genuinely feared for her life. Footage shows the plainclothes ICE agents arrested and detained her, then placed her in an unmarked vehicle.
That evening, she was brought to Methuen, MA; then, to Lebanon, NH; and, finally, to St. Albans, VT where she spent the night in a detention cell. While ICE was driving Ms. Öztürk all over New England, her lawyer was frantically filing an emergency habeas petition. That night, a Massachusetts court ordered the government not to remove her from Massachusetts without prior notice.
However, early the next morning, without notifying the court, her counsel, or the Department of Justice counsel, federal agents took her to Patrick Leahy Burlington International Airport and transported her to Louisiana, where she has remained in detention ever since. While in transit, Ms. Öztürk suffered an asthma attack, which her friends had been worried about as she did not have her medication. Since being detained, she has suffered at least three more medical episodes.
Who is Rümeysa Öztürk?
A child development researcher who is getting her Ph.D. at Tufts University, Ms. Öztürk is known for her dedication to her work, to her community, and to her loved ones.
A former boss said in a letter to the court that as a teaching assistant she was “outstanding—kind, approachable, and deeply attentive to the psychological needs of her students as we navigated the challenges of the pandemic.” He said that "students in her section wrote glowing reviews, highlighting her empathy, dedication, and commitment to their well-being.”
A good friend describes her to ProPublica