Overview

• The Department of Justice has filed an appeal against a federal judge's order to transfer Rumeysa Öztürk from a Louisiana ICE facility to Vermont by May 1, where her habeas petition is pending.
• Öztürk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University, was detained in March after co-authoring a pro-Palestinian op-ed, raising significant First Amendment concerns.
• A congressional delegation, including Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, visited Öztürk in Louisiana, calling her detention a violation of constitutional rights and demanding her immediate release.
• ICE’s justification for transferring Öztürk to Louisiana, citing bed space limitations in New England, has been challenged by immigration lawyers and lawmakers as an attempt to exploit favorable judicial jurisdictions.
• Bail and habeas hearings are scheduled for early May, with growing scrutiny over the federal government’s use of immigration enforcement against student activists.