Overview

• The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered ICE to transfer Tufts doctoral student Rumeysa Öztürk from Louisiana to Vermont by May 14 for habeas and bail hearings.
• The Justice Department's appeal to keep Öztürk in Louisiana was denied, with the court citing her right to participate in legal proceedings closer to her community and legal counsel.
• Öztürk has been detained for six weeks following the revocation of her visa, which her lawyers argue was retaliation for co-authoring a pro-Palestinian op-ed at Tufts University.
• The court also upheld a Vermont judge's earlier ruling that Öztürk's detention raises significant constitutional concerns, including potential violations of free speech and due process rights.
• Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student activist from Columbia University, remains free on bail as the DOJ continues to appeal his release and seeks to consolidate the two cases.