Removal proceedings have been terminated for a Tufts University doctoral student detained by ICE agents in the Somerville neighborhood of Boston in spring 2025.

“Today, I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that despite the justice system’s flaws, my case may give hope to those who have also been wronged by the U.S. government,” said Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish national studying for her Ph.D. in child development at the Boston school.

“Though the pain that I and thousands of other women wrongfully imprisoned by ICE have faced cannot be undone, it is heartening to know that some justice can prevail after all,” Öztürk said.

Öztürk was detained by plainclothes ICE agents on the streets of Somerville on March 25, 2025, after federal officials abruptly revoked her student visa, a move her attorneys say was retaliation for an opinion piece she co-authored in support of Palestinians in Gaza.

The six-week detention of the Tufts University doctoral student — who was transported through multiple states and detention centers, including Vermont and Louisiana, before lawyers could locate her — prompted national outrage and raised alarms among civil liberties groups.

Though she was ordered released on May 9, her legal battle has persisted. A federal judge ruled on Dec. 5, 2025, that immigration authorities had wrongfully terminated Öztürk’s Student and Exchange Visa Information System, or SEVIS, record and ordered it reinstated, restoring her ability to fully resume her doctoral program.

The reinstatement remains in effect, though the government appealed the decision on Feb. 6. A separate ruling was also made on Jan. 22, which found the government’s broader policy of arresting and detaining scholars like Öztürk violated the First Amendment and confirmed she was targeted solely for co-authoring an op‑ed.

“I grieve for the many human beings who do not get to see the mistreatment they have faced brought into the light,” Öztürk said.

“When we openly talk about the many injustices around us, including the treatment of immigrants and others who have been targeted and thrown in for-profit ICE prisons, as well as what is happening in Gaza, true justice will prevail.”

Immigration attorneys for Öztürk submitted documents in federal court on Monday to announce the removal proceedings have been terminated by an immigration judge.

“The Trump administration has weaponized our immigration system to target valued members of our communities, including scholars like Rümeysa,” said her attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai of Khanbabai Immigration Law. Khanbabai argued the administration has “manipulated immigration laws to silence people,” especially those who advocate for Palestine.

“With this ruling, Judge Patel has delivered justice for Rümeysa; now, I hope that other immigration judges will follow her lead and decline to rubber stamp the president’s cruel deportation agenda,” Khanbabai said.

Öztürk is represented by the ACLU, ACLU of Massachusetts, ACLU of Vermont, CLEAR, Emery Celli Abady Brinckerhoff Ward & Maazel LLP, Mahsa Khanbabai and Kerry Doyle.

SOUTHWICK — Jason M. Perron, Air Force veteran, career law enforcement officer, and former Southwick Select Board member and chair, has announced he is running for the 3rd Hampden District seat in the House of Representatives.

“The people of this district deserve representation that puts people over party,” Perron said in his announcement. “Too often, decisions made at the Statehouse feel disconnected from the real lives of the people they affect — especially out here in Western Massachusetts.”

Perron is running as an Independent because he believes voters deserve representation that is focused on people, not party politics.

He joins Democrat Tom Hendrickson in a bid to claim the seat of Republican incumbent state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga, who didn’t return a message to indicate whether he will be seeking reelection.

Perron has spent nearly three decades in public service as an Air Force veteran, a career law enforcement officer and a former Southwick Select Board member.

“My years in the Air Force and as a police officer provided me with examples of great leadership,” he said. “It taught me that leadership is earned through discipline, accountability, and service — not titles.”

“Standing my ground and doing what was right in negotiations wasn’t always pleasant or comfortable,” Perron said. “But leadership means making difficult choices and seeing them through.”

Perron said Western Massachusetts deserves a representative who shows up consistently in every community — not just during election season.

He racked up a string of accomplishments while serving on the Select Board, including spearheading the effort to establish the municipal aggregation program in Southwick.

He also brought forth proposed zoning and policy changes to support responsible economic development and authored the town’s flag policy to prevent constitutional and civil rights conflicts.

His decision to run came from something he has believed for a long time: he is not the type of person who can sit back and complain, he said.

“I listened to people say for years that they weren’t getting what they needed from government,” he said. “But I also watched election cycles go by where almost nobody stepped up to run and do better. When the last election cycle went by, and there was only one candidate, that’s when I really started thinking seriously about whether I should do this.”

Perron compares this campaign to the biggest “firsts” in his life — Southwick High School as the new kid, basic training, becoming a police officer, husband, father and serving on the Select Board.

“Every one of those moments forced me to learn, grow and earn it,” he said. “And I walked into the Select Board the same way — learning and growing — and I proved to myself that I am capable.”

Perron said his campaign will focus on cost-of-living, energy costs, government transparency, fair funding for Western Massachusetts and practical public safety policy.

“Massachusetts has become one of the most expensive places in the country to live,” Perron said. “Families are getting squeezed from every direction — energy, housing, healthcare, taxes and everyday costs. We need a representative who understands what it’s like to live here, work here, raise a family here and fight for this region to get its fair share.”

“I answer to the people of this district,” Perron said. “And I’ll work with anyone — Republican, Democrat, or Independent — if it helps our towns and our region.”

Perron lived in Blandford as a child, attended Gateway Regional schools, graduated from Southwick High School, lived in Granville, lived in Southwick from 1990 to 1993 before joining the Air Force, spent more than 20 years living in Westfield raising his family and serving the public, and returned to Southwick in 2019.

“I’m not running against anyone,” Perron said. “I’m running for the people of this district.”

The 3^rd Hampden district includes parts of Agawam and Feeding Hills and the towns of Southwick, Granville, Blandford, Tolland, Russell, Montgomery, Huntington, Chester and Middlefield.

For more information about Perron, visit https://candidates.goodparty.org/jperronfor3rdhampden or email him at jason14xxx@gmail.com

EASTHAMPTON — When the creative team at Big Voodoo Interactive wants an advertising spokesperson to speak a different language, change its accent, darken its complexion or swap genders, it’s as simple as a few clicks on a computer.

The Easthampton marketing firm — which touts itself as a leading digital agency for law firms — has struck a partnership with TikTok and is using “spokespeople” made with artificial intelligence now more than ever.

The firm experimented with AI influencers more than a year ago, but they didn’t look human, credible or convincing enough to star in the agency’s digital ad campaigns.

“The technology wasn’t where it needed to be. We weren’t going to put out something that was glitchy or didn’t sound natural,” said Megan Sheldon, managing director of operational services at Big Voodoo.

“It’s come a long way, and when you’re scrolling through a platform like TikTok, it’s not blatantly obvious this is an AI influencer. It looks and sounds human, and we’re confident in how it performs,” she told The Republican.

Big Voodoo also is using real celebrities like William Shatner, Matt Walton and Eric Pierpoint along with actual clients in their advertising campaigns.

While anyone can create content and post it for free on TikTok, Big Voodoo has struck a formal partnership that gives the firm broader and deeper access to the platform, its audience and experts.

The revenue-sharing portion of the deal is confidential, but the agreement gives the Easthampton firm direct access to TikTok experts, who help with strategy and expanding Big Voodoo’s audience beyond what non-partners can achieve.

The platform also shares analytical information that helps inform and improve its future campaigns.

“TikTok is new territory for us, but it’s appealing because of its younger crowd,” said Joseph Morelli, a partner in the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone and Morelli, which is a Voodoo client.

“Young adults in their 20s and 30s seem to be using that as a primary way to get their information. We’re getting good results from Facebook and Instagram. This is just a natural extension of that,” said Morelli.

Not so long ago, Google gathered and dropped consumers at the doorsteps of corporate, government and nonprofit websites. But AI is overriding what Google had been providing and is actually now an obstacle between consumers and websites.

When web users put search terms into Google, artificial intelligence is now presenting answers that include summaries and bullet-point information, without immediately sending readers any further.

“No one even gets to the websites anymore. AI just answers questions right there, instead of Google sending traffic to websites. All of a sudden, website exposure has decreased by as much as 30%,” said Jake Del Hagen, founder and CEO of Big Voodoo Interactive.

In many cases, consumers are avoiding Google altogether, dropping search terms directly into TikTok, Instagram and others.

The ad firm offers what it calls a turnkey solution to its clients, identifying both human and digital spokespeople, writing scripts, producing content and placing it all on digital platforms.

Influencers have long been seen by marketers as having more credibility than advertising, even as it is nearly impossible to tell whether a spokesperson is real or fake — which gives new meaning to the phrase, “send in make-up.”

Big Voodoo says that made-up spokespeople are just as credible and no less legitimate than human pitchmen and women.

“It’s almost the equivalent of an actor standing in there and telling a story or reading a testimonial, because that’s essentially how we are viewing influencers. They’re telling a story for our clients,” said Sheldon.

According to Big Voodoo, AI is allowing the company to slice up demographic areas and drop spokespeople into a Spanish-speaking section of one city or another market where Arabic, French or Italian is the predominant language.

This type of advertising can target people right down to their ZIP codes and neighborhoods. It is tracking people down and finding them where they live and work.

Many Big Voodoo clients specialize in personal injury, workers’ compensation, family law and civil litigation. AI allows its messaging to be clear and on point. It also reduces costs by moving production away from expensive on-location shoots to the inside of a studio or even a computer.

“We’ve hit a point in our own technology, as well as the industry, where (AI spokespeople) look super believable. You can build a brand around it, and more importantly, they can speak multiple languages. When you’re a law firm, you still want to work with those clients, they deserve representation,” said Del Hagen.

The shift to digital might be seismic, but it’s not absolute. While AI spokespeople are the hot new stars, clients continue appearing in their own commercials along with noted actors. Law firms are still running ads on television, radio and in newspapers.

“There’s not one method that reaches everybody,” said Morelli. “At that moment when they’re looking for a personal injury attorney, if we somehow have made an impression on them, whether it be TikTok, Facebook, TV or newspaper, hopefully at that moment they think back and remember us.”

The competition for clients is hotter than ever, said Del Hagen. The need to be efficient, nimble, focused with precisely targeted messages is crucial, he added.

Sheldon said the TikTok partnership is helping Big Voodoo move away from an approach where advertisers are throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks, to a surgical strategy that finds and markets directly to potential clients.

“We are seeing real results,” said Sheldon. “You’re always going to get impressions and views, but we’re also seeing them convert for our clients, who are getting people who actually need their services or are interested in learning more.”