On the evening of March 25, Rumeysa Ozturk, a graduate worker at Tufts University and a member of SEIU 509 was abducted by federal immigration authorities near her off-campus apartment. Rumeysa’s arrest is the latest in an egregious series of abductions and targeting of international students and workers, including Mahmoud Khalil, Dr. Badar Khan Suri, Ranjani Srinivasan, and others. Like others, Rumeysa was targeted for deportation on the basis of her free speech in support of the Palestinian people. Now, in a further escalation, Marco Rubio has asserted that he has revoked over 300 visas and will revoke the visas of all student “activists.”
Freedom of speech is a basic democratic right that is foundational to our society. These essential rights and First Amendment protections were secured through struggle, in which the labor movement has played a pivotal role. The Trump administration is now targeting students, academics and workers for protected free speech activity under the false pretense of fighting anti-semitism. In the midst of these attacks, federal funding is being used to extort universities to crack down even further on free speech and the student movement for Palestine.
These attacks on international students and workers are a clear attempt to scare people from taking collective action and exercising their rights. In doing so, they threaten the ability for all working people to fight against injustice and for a better future. Many unions last year stood up in solidarity with Palestine and against attacks on free speech related to Palestine. This is another moment to stand strong with each other in the face of repression.
We are inviting you to join our labor contingent for this national mobilization on April 5
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