Overview

• Rumeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by ICE after her visa was revoked, allegedly due to her pro-Palestinian activism.
• Federal Judge William Sessions has ordered ICE to transfer Öztürk from Louisiana back to Vermont for a habeas corpus hearing, but she remains detained in Louisiana.
• ICE transported Öztürk across multiple states and held her in undisclosed locations, obstructing her legal team's ability to file a timely habeas petition.
• The government argues that only Louisiana courts have jurisdiction over Öztürk's case, delaying her potential release on bail and intensifying legal disputes.
• Her case highlights broader concerns about ICE's opaque detention practices, free speech retaliation, and the tension between national security claims and academic freedom.