Unlawful Detention and Deportation of Tufts Student

I am writing to formally request your immediate intervention in the case of Romeysa Ozturk, a Turkish national, Fulbright scholar, and Ph.D. student at Tufts University, who was forcibly detained on March 25, 2025, near her residence in Somerville, Massachusetts. Ms. Ozturk entered the United States legally on an F-1 visa. She has not been charged with any crime. Her visa was reportedly revoked based on protected speech—public statements and writings critical of U.S. policy and university inaction regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This action by your administration is both unconstitutional and a direct affront to the rule of law. As a legal permanent resident or visa holder, Ms. Ozturk is entitled to constitutional protections under well-established precedent. Her detention without charges, seizure without warrant, and transportation across state lines without judicial authorization violate: • The First Amendment – guaranteeing her right to free speech and peaceful protest; • The Fourth Amendment – protecting against unlawful seizure; • The Fifth Amendment – ensuring due process before deprivation of liberty; • The Sixth Amendment – guaranteeing the right to know the nature of accusations. Federal agents in this case appear to have acted without judicial warrants, formal immigration charges, or adequate notice to her legal counsel. Furthermore, a federal judge ordered she not be moved from Massachusetts—yet DHS appears to have transferred her to Louisiana. If confirmed, this constitutes contempt of court. If the U.S. government can target a student for nonviolent speech under the pretext of national security, then we no longer live under a system governed by law. Political dissent, particularly from those with limited legal power, must not be redefined as terrorism. I urge you to direct the Department of Homeland Security to: 1. Immediately release Ms. Ozturk from detention; 2. Restore her student visa and allow her to resume her studies at Tufts; 3. Publicly reaffirm that no person in the United States will be penalized for exercising constitutionally protected speech. This matter is not simply administrative—it is constitutional. The credibility of your leadership and the legal foundation of our republic depend on your response.