The New England First Amendment Coalition and several national advocacy organizations denounced today the recent detention of Tufts University Ph.D. student Rümeysa Öztürk by federal immigration authorities.
NEFAC and advocates including the Student Press Law Center, Freedom of the Press Foundation and PEN America, said the detention appears to be a “blatant disregard for the principles of free speech and free press within the First Amendment.”
The groups are asking Tufts to:
- Publicly demand ICE release Öztürk and clarify that her detention undermines the university’s values.
- Reaffirm protections for international students’ free speech rights.
According to The Tufts Daily, Öztürk — a Turkish national and graduate student at Tufts — was detained by ICE agents on March 25. Widely circulated video shows her being arrested by plain clothed federal agents, many of them masked. She is reportedly incarcerated at a facility in Louisiana.
More than a year ago, in March 2024, Öztürk co-authored an opinion piece in the student newspaper critical of the university’s response to Israel’s attacks on Palestinians in Gaza. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told the Associated Press that federal authorities detained Öztürk and revoked her visa after an investigation found she had “engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans.” The only publicly known activity, however, was her op-ed.
Öztürk’s attorney has said she is not aware of any criminal charges against Öztürk and when asked to detail the specific activities warranting the student’s visa being revoked, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would not do so. Meanwhile, a Tufts spokesperson has said Öztürk is a student “in good standing” and that her op-ed did not violate university policies on protests and expression.
“The First Amendment is an asset, not an inconvenience,” wrote NEFAC and its fellow advocates in a March 28 statement.
“Citizens and noncitizens alike are entitled to free speech. Institutions that value free speech rights don’t seek out opportunities to disregard them,” they added. “Student visas may be the lowest hanging fruit for now, but those who revoke visas of op-ed writers are sure to seize upon any legal theory that might permit them to punish others with whom they disagree.”
NEFAC is the region’s leading advocate for the First Amendment and the public’s right to know about government. All coalition briefs, advocacy letters and statements can be found here.
NEFAC was formed in 2006 to advance and protect the Five Freedoms of the First Amendment, including the principle of the public’s right to know. We’re a broad-based organization of people who believe in the power of an informed democratic society. Our members include lawyers, journalists, historians, academics and private citizens.
Our coalition is funded through contributions made by those who value the First Amendment and who strive to keep government accountable. Please make a donation here.
NEFAC is supported by the Estate of Gloria L. Negri. Additional funding is provided by Leadership Circle donors including the Rhode Island Foundation, The Boston Globe, Paul and Ann Sagan, and the Robertson Foundation. Major Supporters of NEFAC’s work are Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Boston University, the Academy of New England Journalists, Northeastern University and WCVB-Boston.