We should all be deeply concerned that on Tuesday a Somerville resident and Tufts student with a valid student visa was taken away by federal agents for what appears to be the exercise of free speech rights. Whether you agree with anyone else’s opinion or not, all Americans should be standing up for the right of each of us to share our views without the risk of being whisked away in an unmarked car by our national government. It’s that simple. Rumeysa Ozturk must be immediately released and her visa restored, not just so that she can continue her studies but so that we can uphold the Constitutional rights of all.  

We of course must stand against any and all hate speech be it anti-immigrant, antimuslim, antisemitism, anti-transgender, racist, sexist, or more. Hate has no home in Somerville. And to be clear, we are not privy to the detailed specifics on the allegations in this case. But what is public is that in this and similar cases, the federal administration has used the argument of antisemitism as grounds to suppress freedom of speech and to launch deportation without due process.  

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. But here we are. 

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.  

This is of course not the only detainment we’ve seen in our community. We must not forget the chaotic mass deportation actions separating families and hurting our nation.

We are living in a bait-and-switch moment where a focus on crime was promised. But instead visas for workers and students are being revoked, green card holders who’ve built their lives here are being detained, and people the government welcomed yesterday on all matter of visas and approvals, they now want to deport today. 

It may feel abstract. Let me share just one heart-wrenching story. Recently an individual was taken from his Somerville home. He has no criminal record but is now in detention. His family is worried for him, and worried for themselves as they’ve been left without their loved one and the vital income he earned. But his partner was reduced to tears with worry on top of all that because now her neighbors think he was a criminal when he was not. Surely there is a more humane and productive way to reform immigration. 

Somerville will continue to call for humane immigration reform. And as our rights are threatened in a variety of ways, Somerville will make use of the law and our voices to defend them. My administration recently filed a joint lawsuit with Chelsea against federal officials to do just that. We are suing to protect our right to direct local resources and ensure our police focus on local public safety and not on federal immigration actions. We also filed a formal brief to support another lawsuit to protect birthright citizenship. Our schools joined a suit to protect the Department of Education.  

We will not sit by idly. We are actively working to ensure our residents are aware of their rights and the threats to their liberty. This is knowledge we all should have whether its for you or for others. Any and all immigrants should avail themselves of this information no matter the form of your authorization to be here.  

 

Our Office of Immigrant Affairs–informed and supported by area nonprofits including the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Massachusetts—has held more than 60 Know Your Rights Trainings and outreach efforts since the start of the year. They work daily to connect people to information, resources, support services, and legal assistance.  

 

I want to be sure that everyone in our community knows where to turn for assistance and information. Please see below for resources and supports that are available to all in our community.  

We also do the heart-breaking work of offering support after a detainment as well. Our staff quickly check if a parent of a Somerville student has been detained, and we ensure the schools are ready to support the child. We also ensure residents are supported with legal referrals, information access, and any necessary food, housing, or social services if an income has been lost.  

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, the resources offered by the city and local non-governmental organizations, and the space to civically engage and build Somerville’s future together. 

 

Sincerely, 

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne