Homeland Security Investigations officials in Boston were instructed to shift focus from criminal cases to immigration enforcement. A Tufts University Ph.D. student, Rümeysa Öztürk, was specifically targeted after her visa was revoked. Assistant special agent Patrick Cunningham testified about the unusual focus on Öztürk, stating he had never seen such a directive before. Cunningham revealed that prior to changes initiated after Trump’s inauguration, his experience centered on criminal investigations rather than immigration matters. He found no evidence of criminal behavior related to Öztürk, suggesting her targeting was politically motivated.
"I can't recall a time that it's come top down like this with a visa revocation," Patrick Cunningham said, according to a new report from The Boston Globe.
"It was not something that I had much experience with, if any," Cunningham said, per Politico. "Most of my career as an agent...has been in enforcement of drug laws, drug smuggling, money laundering. ... That's changed recently."
Cunningham reportedly said that shortly after President Donald Trump's inauguration officials at HSI were told that immigration enforcement would be prioritized.
Cunningham said he received information on Öztürk, including the op-ed, and did not see anything that indicated she had committed a crime.
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