Boston, MINA – Turkish PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk, who had been unlawfully detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over six weeks, returned home to Massachusetts on Saturday. Welcomed at Logan International Airport by US Senator Edward Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Ozturk expressed gratitude and called for justice, Anadolu Agency reported.
Ozturk, a Tufts University scholar, was detained in Louisiana after being taken from the streets of Somerville on March 8. Her arrest followed an op-ed she wrote for the Tufts Daily, criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies and their effect on international students.
In a press conference, she said, “I came to the United States to pursue my doctoral studies, learn and grow as a scholar, and also to contribute to a global community.” She also called attention to others still affected by the system, especially women in immigration detention.
Lawmakers who had visited the ICE facility, including Markey and Pressley, described the conditions as inhumane and retaliatory. They condemned the federal government’s actions and promised continued advocacy.
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Ozturk’s supporters are now calling for her full exoneration and visa restoration. While her release is seen as a significant win, advocates stressed the urgent need for broader immigration reform to protect the rights of international students and scholars. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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