Press Statement
For Immediate Release
May 14th, 2025
Asian Americans Advancing Justice Welcomes Rümeysa Öztürk’s Release and Urges Immediate Action for Mahmoud Khalil and all Detained Students
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is relieved by the release of Rümeysa Öztürk, the Tufts University Ph.D. student whose six-week detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was ruled unjust by a federal judge on Friday.
Öztürk was detained without formal charges after co-writing an op-ed in her campus newspaper criticizing the university’s response to student activists’ demands related to Israel and Palestine. The administration revoked her visa with no transparent process or justification, and she faced deportation proceedings before being released more than 30 days later. Though her release is welcomed, this incident raises urgent concerns about the fragile state of our democracy and how the federal government is abusing its power to strip away lawful presence and civil liberties — especially for immigrants, students, and activists.
Öztürk’s treatment is not just an isolated event – it is part of an alarming trend of attempts to suppress our voices, especially on college campuses, through immigration enforcement. It disproportionately affects Asian Americans and many other communities due to their immigration statuses.
The detention of Öztürk and the targeting of other student activists such as Yunseo Chung sends a message to thousands: speaking up could cost you your home, your education, or your freedom.
While we celebrate Öztürk’s release, we remain deeply alarmed that Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, remains in ICE detention. Khalil, a green card holder, was detained on March 8th after ICE agents informed him that his student visa had been revoked due to his participation in pro-Palestinian protests. His continued incarceration raises urgent questions about equal protection under the law, due process and the targeting of student activists—particularly those whose views are opposed to the administration.
Detaining students for exercising political expression raises significant Constitutional concerns and is a direct threat to our shared democratic values. We demand their immediate release and call for an end to the criminalization of peaceful protest, especially among international and immigrant students.
We urge lawmakers, institutions, and the broader public to stand with students facing similar threats to their freedom, and to remain vigilant in defending the rights of all students to speak out without fear of retaliation.
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Contact:
Aleisha Flores, aflores@advancingjustice-aajc.org
Liza Ameen, lameen@ajsocal.org
James Woo, media@advancingjustice-atlanta.org
Arjumand Khan, akhan@advancingjustice-chicago.org
About Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of four leading Asian American civil rights organizations committed to advancing the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and building a more just society for all.