1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The detainment of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish student at Tufts University, is deeply concerning. The surveillance footage showing federal agents apprehending her on a public sidewalk while she was meeting friends raises significant questions about potential violations of her constitutional rights. As a legal immigrant pursuing her education, Ozturk should be afforded the protections of the First Amendment, including the ability to express views critical of government policies without fear of retaliation or deportation. While the government claims Ozturk's activities supported Hamas, no specific evidence has been provided to substantiate this allegation. Co-authoring an op-ed urging the university to acknowledge the Palestinian experience and divest from companies tied to Israel does not constitute grounds for revoking her student visa or taking her into custody. This incident appears to be part of a broader pattern of targeting student activists and chilling free speech on college campuses. It is imperative that Ozturk's due process rights are upheld and that she is provided a fair opportunity to challenge the revocation of her visa. The government's actions in this case threaten fundamental civil liberties and send a troubling message about the treatment of legal immigrants who express dissenting views. Ozturk should be released from detention immediately, and the disturbing practice of suppressing protected speech under the guise of national security must end.