CDNY’s Statement on Rumeysa Ozturk
The College Democrats of New York unequivocally condemn the unconstitutional and politically motivated detention of Tufts graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk by federal immigration authorities. A Turkish national and PhD student, Ozturk was forcibly taken by federal agents near her home while on her way to break her fast, handcuffed, and secretly transported 1,400 miles away to a Louisiana facility—despite a judge’s order explicitly barring her removal from the state without 48-hour notice.
Ozturk, a Fulbright Scholar and doctoral research assistant, co-authored a 2024 opinion essay criticizing university leadership for their response to Israel-Palestine. Her detention is not just an attack on one student—it is an attack on free speech, academic freedom, and constitutional rights.
No student—regardless of nationality—should live in fear of being abducted by federal agents for expressing their views. This authoritarian overreach sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the fundamental principles of academic freedom and democracy itself.
We demand Ozturk’s immediate release, full transparency regarding her detention, and decisive action from elected officials to prevent further abuses of power. Silence is complicity—our rights, our freedoms, and our democracy are on the line.
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Contact Information:
Sowad Ocean Karim
Communications Director
collegedemsny@gmail.com
Organization Info:
College Democrats of New York
https://www.collegedemsny.org
collegedemsny@gmail.com