Tufts urges community to report sightings of immigration officials after agents spotted near campus

Local News

The chief of the university’s police department warned students and staff to stay vigilant in light of the recent sightings.

Officials at Tufts University urged the community to report sightings of immigration officials Tuesday after they were alerted about federal activity near the campus.

Yolanda Smith, chief of the university’s police department, told students and staff in an email that the campus’ Department of Public Safety was “actively monitoring the situation in coordination with our municipal partners in Medford and Somerville.”

Smith cited reports of “recent federal immigration enforcement activity” nearby but did not give specific details.

Anyone who encountered immigration officials “on or near campus” was urged to call campus police. They also referred community members to their Office of University Counsel website, which included information about their protocols regarding federal agents.

“Tufts has a well‑defined process for responding to government officials who arrive on campus without prior notice,” Smith said in the email. “Tufts Public Safety remains alert and engaged across all campuses, following robust protocols designed to safeguard our community.”

The community warning came just over 10 months after Rümeysa Öztürk, a graduate student at the university, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Somerville. After being held in a Louisiana detention center for 45 days, she was released under the orders of a federal judge in Vermont.

Öztürk is a Turkish citizen who was studying at Tufts on a student visa. In December 2025, her record as an international student was reinstated after it was terminated by the State Department earlier in the year.