A federal judge ordered Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk to be released from ICE detention on Friday after several weeks of demonstrations, often led by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), as well as continuous fights in the courts.
“She is free because workers stood up and demanded justice,” said April Verrett, President of SEIU. Öztürk is a member of Massachusetts SEIU Local 509.
“But our work is far from over. Rümeysa is free, but millions of other immigrants are not. They are still in the shadows. Our work is not done until everyone who calls this country home gets to live with freedom, dignity, and respect,” Verrett added.
Dave Foley, President of SEIU Local 509, also celebrated Öztürk’s release: “Today, we celebrate the release of our union member, Rümeysa Öztürk, who was unjustly detained over a month ago by ICE and is now returning to her community here in Massachusetts. Throughout her detention, our union sibling has shown extraordinary courage. Her strength is the spirit of what drives the labor movement. We are thrilled to welcome her back home.”
He warned of rising fascist attacks scapegoating immigrants, busting unions, and political repression but reaffirmed the labor movement’s fight back. “The labor movement will not be intimidated,” he said. “Our struggles are bound together. Solidarity means no one gets left behind.”
Öztürk was arrested on March 25 by plainclothes ICE agents as she walked to dinner with friends. Just four days earlier, the State Department had quietly canceled her student visa, according to NPR. Agents transported her from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and Vermont before flying her to a detention center in Louisiana the next day.
The Department of Homeland Security accused Öztürk of “engaging in anti-Israel activism” after October 7, 2023, specifically citing an op-ed she co-authored calling on Tufts to “disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel.” However, an internal State Department memo admitted there was no evidence Öztürk engaged in antisemitic activities or supported terrorist organizations.
In his ruling Friday, Judge William Sessions of the U.S. District Court for Vermont stated her arrest likely occurred in retaliation for her criticism of Tufts’ response to the genocide in Gaza. “Her continued detention potentially chills the speech of the millions and millions of people in this country who are not citizens,” Sessions said.
“I suggested to the government that they produce any additional information which would suggest that she posed a substantial risk,” Sessions added. “And that was three weeks ago, and there has been no evidence introduced by the government other than the op-ed. That literally is the case. There is no evidence here.”
“Rümeysa Öztürk should never have been abducted and unlawfully detained. She is a cherished member of our community and I’m so relieved she is headed home,” said Ayanna Pressley, Congresswoman from Massachusetts.
“This is a victory for Rümeysa, for due process, and for our democracy.”
This article features reporting from NPR, SEIU, and People’s World.
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