1. United States
2. N.Y.
3. Letter

Rumeysa Ozturk, a doctoral student at Tufts University and former Fulbright scholar, was forcibly detained by plainclothes immigration agents while walking with friends in Somerville, Massachusetts. Surveillance video captured the alarming incident where she was surrounded and handcuffed without explanation. As a respected academic exercising her right to free speech by critiquing the university's response to Palestinian rights protests, this abduction represents an unacceptable attack on civil liberties. We cannot allow the government to intimidate and silence voices of dissent through such heavy-handed tactics. I urge you to condemn this violation of Ozturk's rights and demand her immediate release to continue her studies without retaliation or harassment. Protecting free speech on campus and in our communities is essential for a free and open democracy.