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By Azra Rahim

In 2023, I was embraced by a supportive, compassionate community of storytellers, people who, like me, want to improve the lives of children through the stories we write. In this community, I found celebrated authors and editors, and newbies like me who aspire to change the world through the power of the pen. Another such newbie was my friend, Rumeysa Ozturk. Everyone who got to know Rumeysa through this circle loved her presence. One of these storytellers said that Rumeysa is, “the sweetest, softest and kindest soul.”

That sweet soul, a third-year PhD student at TUFTS who is in America on a valid F1 student visa headed out of her apartment to meet friends on what she thought was a normal evening about a week ago. As she was walking down a street in Somerville, she was abducted by ICE without any warning. They falsely claimed to be police when she became scared. Despite a court order not to remove her from Massachusetts, she was moved more than a thousand miles away to Basile, Louisiana, far away from her support network and legal team. It took her lawyer 24 hours to locate her.

And for the last week, Rumeysa’s loved ones and friends have endured a hateful smear campaign against her. Portraying her in this manner may make it easier for folks to look away as her first amendment rights are denied and her freedoms stripped. But anyone who knows Rumeysa will tell you that the things being said about her are patently false.

If you knew Rumeysa, you would know that she is a gentle, soft-spoken young woman who cares deeply for others. From making Turkish tea for her colleagues every morning at the Eliot- Pearson Department of Child Study & Human Development every morning to picking out pastries for her friends to break their fast, Rumeysa brought joy to everyone with simple acts of love. A colleague commented that, “Rumeysa is a kind, gentle, and service-minded person.” She is known best for her warm welcoming smile as she places her hand over her heart. Among her writing friends, she is noted for selflessly offering to critique other people’s work and doing so with care and insight. One of her colleagues stated, “She made me feel seen.”

If you knew Rumeysa, you would know that she loves children and is a staunch advocate for their needs. Her PhD research revolves around the use of social media and how it affects the growth and development of adolescents and children. In recognition of her scholarship, she received a prestigious fellowship from her department, the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study & Human Development. She is also a research assistant at the Tufts’ Children’s Television project.

She has served as a teaching assistant for several courses in the past and is scheduled to be teaching undergraduate students at present. It is commonly known in her department that she has a special skill in cultivating a passion for learning among those who she teaches. A fellow faculty member had this to say about her, “She goes above and beyond to help create an inspiring and inclusive learning environment where students feel valued and empowered.”

Her teaching and research work have a deep impact on her creative writing as an aspiring children’s author. She wants children to be able to see themselves reflected in books and TV. She wants to build confident kids with a deep sense of pride in who they are and where they come from.

Like me, she loves reading children’s books, saying, “I find literature as a beautiful opportunity to connect about our own cultures and what’s beyond our own boundaries.” And in her personal life, like me, she adores being an aunt to her young niece and calls it, “the absolute best job in the whole world.”

 If you knew Rumeysa, you would know that she is creative in all aspects of her life, not just her writing. A colleague of hers in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study & Human Development says this about her, “she consistently offers creative and innovative ideas while remaining open to others’ perspectives, serving as a role model to our learning community.

If you knew Rumeysa, you would know that she is a bridge builder and peace maker. In her writing, she says, “my goal and dream is to support a more inclusive children’s literature space and intercultural understanding.”

In her teaching, she goes out of her way to help young people in her classes to build strong peer relationships, knowing that these friendships will serve them well as they navigate the rigors of adulthood.

She is also known for her commitment to building interfaith relationships through her work with several chaplaincy groups on the TUFTS campus believing as she did in the sanctity of all religions and philosophies of life. One of the Chaplaincy staff described her as an “authentic and integrated human being.”

As the mayor of Somerville stated in her Op-Ed piece on March 26th earlier this year, the travesties that have occurred with Rumeysa, “open the door to attacks on the rights of all and the fabric of society as a whole. It is a well-worn pattern for some power seekers to stoke hatred and fear of others – any convenient others available. History shows they do this to distract us from or to get people to accept despicable actions and harmful policies.”

 The stakes are high. And now you know Rumeysa. Here is how you can help.

1. Donate to support her legal defense, living support, and medical and health-related needs. Rumeysa has asthma and the detention center has withheld her medications. Any amount helps, no matter how small. Every dollar goes toward securing Rumeysa’s freedom.

Scroll through the donations and you will see the names of your Somerville neighbors that have already donated. It is now your turn. Click here: Justice for Rümeysa Öztürk | Chuffed | Non-profit charity and social enterprise fundraising.

2. Share the video of Rumeysa’s abduction and this campaign for justice widely with your networks.
3. Advocate by calling TUFTS to demand that they fight for their student’s release on bond. Call your state representative and demand that they move Rumeysa from the detention center in Basile, Louisiana back to Massachusetts.
4. Educate Yourself Start by watching John Oliver’s episode from March 10, 2025. https:youtu.be/5Hpgu7wSUQQ Using comedy, Oliver drops truth bombs about detention centers, where detainees can languish for years, without adequate food, health care or space (overcrowding is a big issue), all while making handsome money for wealthy, private owners. Detainees are re-quired to cook and clean the detention center themselves, for $1/day wages. And if they refuse to work, they are placed in solitary confinement.

 Rumeysa’s family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors miss her deeply. We are waiting for Rumeysa’s release. We are speaking out for a student, a teacher, a powerful advocate for children and for a storyteller who has been silenced. We will continue to speak out on Rumeysa’s behalf until she returns to her community where she belongs.