A Tufts PhD student by the name of Rumeysa Ozturk was on a student visa when she was unlawfully detained and sent to Louisiana under the reasoning that she was engaged in activities in support of Hamas.
The only activity remotely connecting her to anything related to the Israel-Hamas conflict was a student journalist opinion piece, where she and three other students advocated for her university to recognize the Palestinian genocide and cut further funding to Israel. She had no legal process—a right guaranteed to her under the Sixth Amendment—nor time in court to determine she was engaged in these activities at all.
The United States should not be able to deport anyone because of their views. This is a direct violation of the First Amendment, which applies to all people on U.S. soil. The series of events over the past few months are a glaring warning sign for journalists, and especially student journalists, who will no longer be able to operate on Student Visas and Green Cards.
Ozturk was not allowed to present any evidence to the contrary of the accusations. She was shipped off to a detention center in Louisiana after being handcuffed and restrained by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Her move to the detention center was also in direct violation of an order by District Judge Indira Talwani.
Not even a Green Card is enough to shield from the threat of deportation under the Trump administration. Palestinian activist and graduate student of Columbia University Mahmoud Khalil was also targeted by ICE. Similarly to Ozturk, he had a history of advocating for university divestment from Israel. Upon learning he was a Green Card holder, ICE swiftly moved to remove that protection from him, with no legal basis.
When ICE agents arrived at his home without a warrant, they also threatened to arrest Khalil’s wife, an American citizen. He was forced into an unmarked vehicle. Khalil and Ozturk were both locked up in the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Center, a privately-run immigration lockup with an average daily detainee population of nearly 1,200.
“The Trump administration is targeting me as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent,” Khalil said. “Visa-holders, Green Card carriers, and citizens alike will all be targeted for their political beliefs.”
Due process should have been followed in the cases of both Khalil and Ozturk. The U.S. is setting an important precedent where speech critiquing the actions of the government could be a cause for deportation. This is dangerous to everyone within the U.S., but especially journalists whose role in society is to voice these opinions.
Even further, those accused of terrorist ideals or gang affiliations have been being sent to El Salvador, where use of torture is widespread. Already, the U.S. violated due process by sending 238 migrants to prison without having been proven guilty of criminal wrongdoing in a court of law. They were not returned to their countries of origin, but rather subjected to cruel punishment in El Salvador. Even those with no proof of gang or terroristic affiliations have no possible means of returning to America, highlighting the importance of following due process.
Whether it be protesting against the Israel-Hamas conflict or speaking out about other issues, journalists are in danger as a result. As of today, the Trump administration has revoked hundreds of Visas. Some journalists are scared to perform their role to keep higher-ups accountable.
This is happening currently at Columbia University. Several writers for the Columbia Political Review are requesting their articles be removed from the news website in an effort to protect themselves.
“I got an email from one of our former writers, an alumni, who wanted to have all of her articles taken offline because she’s threatened,” editor of the Columbia Political Review Adam Kinder said. “I’ve gotten at least five of these emails in the past week.”
In addition, federal journalist programs continue to be defunded by Republicans, putting journalists directly at risk. Recently, about 1,300 Voice of America journalists were placed on administrative leave. This group has broadcast into countries whose governments censor free information. Dozens of the staffers in Washington are on J-1 Visas.
Anyone on this visa that loses their job has their legal status affected immediately. The journalists have to return to countries whose governments have a record of jailing critics.
In addition, the Trump administration took control of the White House press pool and decided which journalists have speaking access to the president. Effectively surrounding Trump with enabling journalists, this further removes journalists from the role of keeping governments accountable.
The U.S. has slowly but surely become a place where journalists, including student journalists, have been unable to speak up if their speech is not in support of the government. The nation is following a dangerous trajectory, and if it continues it is a feasible possibility that everyone, regardless of legal status, will be unable to voice their opinions.
