Massachusetts Elected Officials Call for Release of Detained Tufts Student Rümeysa Öztürk

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne of Somerville, joined by fellow Massachusetts elected officials, is calling for the immediate release of Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk, currently being held in federal immigration detention.

Ms. Öztürk, an international student, appears to have been detained for expressing her views, views protected under the First Amendment for citizens and immigrants alike. In a joint statement initiated by Mayor Ballantyne, the signers underscore that freedom of speech and due process are foundational democratic principles that must be upheld without exception.

“...we call for the immediate release of Rümeysa Öztürk and the restoration of her student visa, not only so that she may return to her studies and contribute to our communities but so that we as a great country can honor our democratic systems, protect our liberty, and uphold the law,” says the statement.

Co-signers include all members of the Somerville State Delegation, all members of the Somerville City Council and Medford Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn.

 

The full statement is as follows:

Massachusetts Elected Officials Joint Call for the Release of Tufts Student Rümeysa Öztürk

 As elected representatives and regional leaders for the state, districts, and City in which international student Rümeysa Öztürk is lawfully carrying out her studies, we jointly call for her immediate release from federal immigration detention. 

Ms. Öztürk appears to have been detained by federal agents for voicing her views—opinions that are constitutionally protected free speech for citizens and immigrants alike. Our Constitution does not require that we all agree with one another’s free speech, but the rule of law that it undergirds requires that we uphold freedom of expression for all—as well as due process. Ms. Öztürk thus appears to be a political detainee in a democracy that does not—and should not—allow for such oppression. 

We must as a nation uphold our freedoms and civil liberties not just for some, but for all. The erosion of rights for one opens the door to the erosion of rights for all. Based on what we know and there being no criminal violations, we call for the immediate release of Rümeysa Öztürk and the restoration of her student visa, not only so that she may return to her studies and contribute to our communities but so that we as a great country can honor our democratic systems, protect our liberty, and uphold the law.