Somerville Mayor Speaks On Tufts Students' ICE Detainment

SOMERVILLE, MA — Mayor Katjana Ballantyne spoke out against the detainment and relocation of the Tufts student by the country’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement that took place last week.

Rumesya Ozturk was detained near her off-campus home Tuesday while on her way to meet with friends. Surveillance video shows multiple masked people approaching Ozturk before handcuffing and walking her toward an unmarked vehicle. According to Ozturk’s attorney Mahsa Khanbabai, her client had a valid visa as a PhD student.

Ballantyne demanded the immediate release and visa restoration for Ozturk, as she feels her detainment is a violation of free speech rights.

“We should all be alarmed by this detainment, which marks an escalation in the erosion of our civil liberties. We should all be alarmed by the intentional violation of our constitution and our legal frameworks. We should all be alarmed by the dehumanization of our neighbors, our family members, and our friends,” Ballantyne said in a statement. “We must be clear-eyed about what is happening. The erosion of one person’s rights can be used to groom us into accepting the erosion of everyone’s rights. It can be hard to grasp that this is what is happening.”

Ozturk was reportedly sought out by ICE due to her involvement in an Op-ed in the Tufts Daily that was critical of the Israeli government.

Ballantyne emphasized that she and the city are in favor of “humane” immigration reform, however she does not feel situations like Ozturk’s meet those criteria.

“My administration remains committed to public safety and the rule of law. My office is in regular contact with our federal delegation and state officials on this case and others to be sure we take any lawful action we can to support our residents. We will continue ensuring our constituents have access to information about their rights,” Ballantyne said.