1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent detention of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts doctoral student, by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). While the content of her speech may not be one that everyone agrees with, this incident represents a much larger, more alarming issue: the government’s ability to revoke visas and detain individuals for expressing dissenting views. This power threatens the fundamental principles of free speech and academic freedom in our country. The detention and targeting of pro-Palestine activists like Ozturk is not only unjust but also a dangerous precedent for the future of free expression in the U.S. It is critical that we, as a nation, do not allow political or ideological disagreement to lead to the suppression of speech or the infringement of constitutional rights. The right to express differing views is the cornerstone of our democracy. I urge you to demand an immediate investigation into the unlawful detention of Rumeysa Ozturk and call for accountability from DHS and ICE. Please take action to protect the rights of all individuals, especially international students, and ensure that the government does not violate the freedoms it is meant to safeguard. I urge you to publicly call for an investigation into the unlawful detention of Rumeysa Ozturk and demand immediate action from DHS and ICE to ensure that political speech is not criminalized. Please follow up with me on the steps you are taking to address this issue.