U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and other Massachusetts lawmakers are calling for the release of Tufts graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk , who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a dramatic arrest outside her off-campus apartment on Tuesday.
“We’re demanding answers, we are demanding that her visa be reinstated,” Pressley said on Boston Public Radio on Friday, condemning the arrest as “rogue, lawless, and meant to intimidate.”
Surveillance footage showed Department of Homeland Security officers forcefully grabbing her and taking her into custody.
“The video is harrowing. The experience must have been harrowing,” Pressley said.
Despite not being charged with a crime, Öztürk’s visa has been revoked. Pressley argues this is a direct attack on free speech, as she recently co-authored an op-ed demanding an end to the university’s relationship with companies tied to Israel.
“Her rights of free speech have been violated. This is an attack on free speech. Due process has been violated here — she was not taken before a judge. There was no court process. There’s no evidence of any criminal wrongdoing,” Pressley added. “The only alleged crime is that she exercised free speech.”
Öztürk also suffers from asthma and requires daily medication, which she did not have with her at the time she was detained.
The incident has sparked outrage across the Tufts community and beyond. On Wednesday evening, more than a thousand protesters gathered at Powder House Square near the university to demand her release. Pressley said seeing the Somerville community gather was “heartening.”
She also warned of the broader implications, saying, “Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you should be deeply alarmed by the harrowing events that took place on that video recording and by this assault and attack on free speech and on due process. This could happen to anyone.”
With public pressure mounting, activists and lawmakers continue to demand answers and justice for Öztürk.
“I need everyone to join us in public outcry,” Pressley urged.
