Over a thousand current and former students of Tufts University have signed a petition calling for proactive protection of its community members against federal deportations following the detainment of Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts graduate student, earlier this week.
“We, members of the Tufts community, are appalled and enraged by the unlawful abduction of Tufts PhD Fulbright student Rümeysa Öztürk by federal authorities,” the petition, which has collected almost 1,500 signatures, reads. “We call on the Tufts administration to commit to defending our community against continued targeted attacks.”
Öztürk, a Turkish national, was detained by members of the Department of Homeland Security Tuesday night on her way to Tufts Interfaith Center and is currently being held in Louisiana, despite a judge’s order preventing her move without prior notice.
Over 2,000 students and local residents gathered near Tufts’ Medford campus on Wednesday in protest of Öztürk’s detainment.
The petition criticizes Tufts administrators’ immediate response to the incident as “willful ignorance” after University President Sunil Kumar wrote that the university had no prior knowledge of Öztürk’s arrest on Tuesday night. Given similar arrests at universities like Columbia University and an ongoing investigation from the Department of Education, the authors argue, Tufts should be on heightened alert for threats to the community.
“It is not enough to disclaim pre-knowledge; only proactive measures will suffice,” the petition reads.
The signatories call for the university to establish clear, specific measures for the protection of community members’ rights and freedom of speech, including the allocation of housing and legal funds for international students and staff.
“International students, scholars, and staff are and have been critical contributors to Tufts’ educational and research excellence,” the petition reads. “A failure to protect their rights, freedom and dignity in today’s political climate will be a betrayal to that legacy and do irreparable harm to the University’s international standing.”
The petition also calls for the university to take legal steps to prevent “further encroachments” on campus by federal officials, facilitate remote learning and engage with media outlets on national coverage. The signatories condemn any attempts at “acquiescence” with federal authorities and say that such behavior would have “a chilling effect” on the university’s reputation, akin to the damage experienced by Columbia University.
“The university is actively working on behalf of Rumeysa Öztürk and all Tufts international community members, has dedicated significant resources to their support, and continues to work with government and political leaders to advocate for their needs,” Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations, wrote in an email to the Daily.
Continuing a yearslong call from activists, the petition also demands divestment from companies that conduct business with Israel and profit off the country’s war in Gaza.
“Regarding the petition’s call to divest, the university’s position remains unchanged. We are opposed,” Collins wrote.
Signatories pledged to halt all financial support of the university and take external measures like contacting investors and international partners, as well as lodge complaints with state politicians if the university does not meet the petition’s demands.
“The only approach—practical and ethical—is a full-throated commitment to resisting the US administration’s oppressive policies and to the maintenance of the rights and dignity of all persons,” the petition ends. “Tufts has an opportunity to take a principled and historic stance against this authoritarian crackdown on student free speech in general, speech regarding Palestine in particular, and on the rights of non-citizens in the United States as a whole.”
