ACLU Supporter, we're at court today defending Rümeysa Öztürk's right to free speech – a case that will impact the First Amendment rights of every single one of us.

Plainclothes ICE officers grabbed Ms. Öztürk off the streets, arrested her, and shipped her across the country with no notice to her loved ones or legal team – the same illegal playbook they weaponized against Mahmoud Khalil. This unlawful arrest was in direct retaliation for an op-ed she wrote in the student newspaper criticizing university policy.

Let's call this what it is: a horrifying violation of Ms. Öztürk's human rights.

While we fight this in court, our community is pushing Congress to act. Tell Congress: Defend our freedom of speech and vote NO on any bill that targets and punishes immigrants and international students for their speech.

The Trump administration's repeated abductions of and threats against international students for lawful speech should scare us all. Without charging Ms. Öztürk with any crime, the government has revoked her student visa, concealed her location from her legal team, and violated her right to due process and free speech.

Criticizing U.S. foreign policy and arguing against human rights violations is neither illegal nor grounds for detention. Dissent is not grounds for deportation. And the Trump administration cannot order ICE to silence anyone with political opinions they disagree with.

Alongside our co-counsel organizations – the ACLU of Massachusetts, CLEAR, Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP, and attorney Mahsa Khanbabai – we're fighting to ensure that Rümeysa Öztürk and every other person who has been snatched by this administration can return to their families and continue to exercise their legally protected rights to free speech and political dissent.

But we can't do it alone. Join us in calling on Congress to fight any attempt to stifle lawful speech and stop the targeted, discriminatory attacks on international students.

We'll reach back out with updates on the latest from today's hearing. Thanks for being with us in this critical fight for our rights.

Together,

Brian Hauss
Pronouns: He, him, his
Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project