Listen/Watch: April 11, 2025 WYPR story on this open letter
We, the undersigned, urge Michael Bloomberg to use his influence to address a matter of grave concern: federal officials engaged in potentially illegal actions that are putting students and others at Johns Hopkins University and elsewhere at risk.
On March 25, 2025, a Fulbright scholar with a valid F-1 student visa was arrested by six agents, either from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Surveillance footage of the arrest shows officers approach 30-year-old Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts University, while wearing plain black clothing, with no visible badges. During the arrest, one officer pulls out his badge as other officers appear and cover their faces with masks. The surveillance video shows officers loading Ozturk into an SUV and departing in three unmarked vehicles. Bystanders observed that the incident “looked like a kidnapping.” ICE posted her location in Louisiana more than twelve hours after U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ordered that the government not remove Ozturk from Massachusetts for at least 48 hours after first providing the court with notice of its intent to relocate her.
This arrest appears to be one of several in which students with valid green cards and visas are being targeted due to their political views. Ozturk was one of multiple authors of a statement, endorsed by 35 other graduate students, which called for her university to “meaningfully engage” with resolutions passed by the student Senate.
Now international students at Johns Hopkins University who have participated in free debate on campus live in fear of abduction without due process. Disturbing recent reports indicate that the Hopkins administration has agreed to collaborate with these unconstitutional abductions targeting vulnerable students.
These actions violate JHU’s institutional values and, in some cases, federal and state laws meant to protect students. The consequences have been devastating—students and families now live in fear, educational access is undermined, and trust in one of the nation’s most valued institutions is eroding.
We, the undersigned Hopkins alumni and others, condemn these abhorrent violations of due process, and call for the JHU administration to protect their students. We urge you to join us and to publicly call for JHU to defend and protect vulnerable students, not proactively comply with potentially illegal federal policies.
Partial list of 250 signatories include:
Kimberly Higgs, current JHU faculty/staff
Berhaun Fesshaye, current JHU faculty/staff
Elizabeth Beckman, current JHU faculty/staff
Lauren Czaplicki, current JHU faculty/staff
Juliana Paré-Blagoev, current JHU faculty/staff
Zackary Berger JHU Associate Professor of Medicine
Tanya Davis JHU Instructor
Michael Downs JHU lecturer
Francine Lampros-Klein, former JHU faculty/staff
Edmund Weisberg, former JHU faculty/staff
Liz Enagonio, former JHU faculty/staff
Edmund Weisberg, former JHU faculty/staff
Gabrielle Ewall Alumna of JHMI Neuroscience PhD program
Robert Stiefel Retired after 25 years at JHM (Director, Clinical Engineering Services) and JHU (Instructor, Biomedical Engineering)
Judith Ranner Retired Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-JHU Employed at JHH
Thomasine Farrell RN who has patients who benefit from JHU research.
Francine Lampros-Klein Senior Staff JHU SOM Pulmonary Division retired
John A. Aubert SHARE study board member
Anish Chedalavada JHU student
Laura Atwood Staff at JHU affiliated hospital
Rachel Lei, JHU alumni
Charlie Cooper, JHU alumni
Jo-Ann Pilardi, JHU alumni
Susan Russell Walters, JHU alumni
Alanna Bergman, JHU alumni
LaTonya Russell, JHU alumni
Madeleine Pope, JHU alumni
Autumn Goodwin, JHU alumni
Akshita Siddula, JHU alumni
Meghan Hiscock, JHU alumni
Harriet Lipsch Goldman, JHU alumni
Suzanne Chapelle, JHU alumni
Brittany Sumnicht Martin JHU Alum
Silvia Golombek JHU Alum
Julia Kandel-Krieger JHU Alum
ingrid castronovo JHU Alum, BA 1969
Geoffrey Levin JHU Alum, SAIS Europe
Lydia Watts JHU aluma
Daniel Golombek JHU alumn
Jeanette Garcia Polasky JHU Alumna
Jessica Strauss JHU Alumna
Bess Rose JHU Alumna, A&S ’91, Ed. ’16
Claudia Leight JHU alumna, graduate school
Gail Long JHU Alumni
Lois Hybl JHU Alumni, Retired Support Staff
David Rodwin JHU Alumnus
Serena Miller JHU Alumnus
Robyn Robbins JHU Alumnus, Class of ’76
Gavriela Bogin-Farber JHU Class of 2005
Maureen Flood JHU Clinical Provider / Faculty
Robin Weiss JHU fellow at the Medical School 1983-1985
Anna Dilley JHU long COVID trial participant
Betsy Krieger Daughter and mother of JHU alumni
Joan Garrity Faculty
Jennifer Blalock Family of Alfred Blalock, part of the team that cured Blue Baby Syndrome, at Hopkins Hospital.
Sheila Stiefel family of JHU staff
Stephanie Shapiro Former employer of JHU health system
Naomi Goldstick former JHU employee
Erin Roth former JHU employee
Dawn Healy Former JHU employee
Bethany Gregg Former JHU employee
Susan Hilger Former JHU employee, wife and daughter in law of graduates
Ann Marie Codori former JHU faculty
Lucy strausbaugh Former JHU graduate student
Peta Richkus former JHU neighbor, Maryland taxpayer
Sharon Herb Former JHU Patient
Brian Spiva, JHU patient
Jacqueline MacMillan, JHU patient
Kathie McCleskey, JHU patient
Susan Baron, JHU patient
Eugenie Jenkins, JHU patient
Natalie Sokoloff , JHU patient
Rhonda Lipkin, JHU patient
Laura Grothaus, JHU patient
Deanna “Cinna” Beebe, JHU patient
Linda Green Former student at JHU Summer Institute, Public Health
Karen Cardinell Frequent JHU patient
Nicholas Downey Friend of JHU students
Joseph Adams graduate of the Johns Hopkins Bayview medical residency program
Kayla Brachmann JHH Employee, Department of Pharmacy
Susan Blalock relative of JHU alum or faculty/staff
John Blalock relative of JHU alum or faculty/staff
Gerald Borleis relative of JHU alum or faculty/staff
Rebecca Armendariz relative of JHU alum or faculty/staff
Nina rutledge relative of JHU alum or faculty/staff
Lucy Sarris relative of JHU alum or faculty/staffMary Lou Bowers relative of JHU alum or faculty/staff
Becki Lanza JHU Neighbor
Joan Goldman JHU neighbor
Elizabeth Gaither JHU Neighbor
Nancy Savage JHU Neighbor
Elizabeth Rice JHU neighbor
Sandee Lippman JHU neighbor
Chauna Brocht JHU neighbor
Ann Sherrill JHU neighbor
Carol Rice JHU neighbor
Rebecca Scharf JHU neighbor
Dottye Durt JHU Neighbor
Andrew Hinz JHU neighbor
Josh Adlin JHU neighbor
James Lobell JHU neighbor
Marilyn Julius JHU neighbor
Richard Geier JHU neighbor
MIRIAM ARENBERG JHU neighbor
Elizabeth Whitmer JHU neighbor
Natalie Sokoloff JHU neighbor
Robin Buck JHU neighbor
Mishy Leiblum JHU neighbor
Kailah Carden JHU neighbor
Diana Goldsmith JHU neighbor
patricia halle JHU neighbor
Carol Goldstein, JHU neighbor
John Neavear JHU neighbor
Laura Walsh JHU neighbor
Sofia Fortuno JHU neighbor
Kim Burton JHU neighbor
Sarah Merrow JHU neighbor
Linden Tebo JHU neighbor
Andrew Levin JHU neighbor
Allison Kahan JHU neighbor
Robin Jacobs JHU neighbor
Michael Johnson JHU neighbor
Mara Braverman JHU neighbor
Barbara Aylesworth JHU neighborAnne Maxson JHU neighbor
Natasha Lesser JHU neighbor, spouse of former JHU employee
Julia Donatelli JHU Patient
Debby and Steve Jencks JHU School of Public Health MPH 1969/ Nurse Midwife 1970
Mike Finzel JHU Staff
Makea King JHU Staff
Bonny Eisenbise JHU staff in 2017/2018
Elle Pea JHU subcontractor
Sharon Davlin Odyssey alumna
Laurie feinberg Parent of two alums and occasional adjunct
Benjamin Cruz Participant in JHU Medical Research
Sonia Shah
Marie Ashen
J Devine User of JHU work and srudies
Marisha Leiblum
Marta Mills Mills
Heidi Blalock
Edward Johnson
Claire Landers
Lisa Eimer
Renee Duffin
Lucy Sarris
Kristin Council
Uta Allers
Mindie Flamholz
Brandy Washington
Katherine Martin
Ashley Jeffries
Sarah Schwartz
Elise Saltzberg
Tyrod Haynes
Fergal Mullally
Nina Beth Cardin
Lacey Benton
Lillian Freudenberger
Frances Weeks
Nancy Newman
Carol goldstein
Deborah Nitzberg
Lisa barkan
Erin Markel
Adrienne Yoe
Karen Brown
Debra Colmers
Jeffrey Stern
Lynne Durbin
Deborah Stuiber
Arlene Ogurick
Lisa Pittman
Patricia Gallagher
Gita Lefstein
Emily Heinlein
Robin Buck
Anne George
Deborah Weiner
Scott Blalock
Jessica Paguirigan
Liz Entwisle
K Banerjee
Bobbie Monahan
Jane D’Ambrogi
May Robinson
Luisa Massari
Megan Medina
Jill Charnley
Michelle Finzel
Jamie Nelson
Cathy stogel
Carole Jackson Cochran
Phil Miller
Linda Richards
Karen Brown
Gail Schuman
Jan Kleinman
Paul Eisenbrg
Louo Napoli
Cero Goya
Sarah Frick
Edith Bailey
Sarah Palmer
Erin Edwards
Annarose Kennedy
Charles Whittington
Lacey Benton
Hillary Kruh
Margaret McLean
Allies for Democracy 