Tufts University warns of immigration enforcement near campus
Tufts University warned its community of reports of federal immigration enforcement activity near its campus in Medford and Somerville, according to a Tuesday email from its chief of police.
"We are actively monitoring the situation in coordination with our municipal partners in Medford and Somerville," Chief Yolanda Smith said.
Smith didn't describe the reports of immigration activity and a Tufts spokesperson declined to elaborate further.
The warning comes after Rumeysa Öztürk , a Turkish Tufts doctoral student, was detained by immigration agents this spring, which sparked a public outcry .
Öztürk was held for more than six weeks by federal authorities after her arrest by masked agents near the Somerville-Medford campus in March 2025. Her arrest was evidently in retaliation for an opinion article she co-authored in a Tufts student newspaper in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
The university asked its community to call the university police department immediately if they encounter any federal immigration officials, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Tufts has a "well‑defined process for responding to government officials who arrive on campus without prior notice," Smith said.
The university provided several tips to its community, such as avoiding holding doors open for people they don't know, carrying their Tufts ID card, trusting their instincts and reporting any suspicious activity.
"Tufts is committed to maintaining a safe, supportive environment where teaching, learning and research can thrive. Tufts Public Safety remains alert and engaged across all campuses, following robust protocols designed to safeguard our community," Smith said.
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