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yesterday

Federal Judge Orders Release of Tufts Student Rumeysa Ozturk After Six Weeks in ICE Detention

Judge William Sessions ruled Ozturk’s detention violated First Amendment and due process rights, citing lack of evidence beyond a pro-Palestinian op-ed.

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University in Somerville, Massachusetts
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Overview

  • Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish PhD student at Tufts University, was arrested in March after her student visa was revoked, allegedly for co-authoring an op-ed critical of Israel's actions in Gaza.
  • U.S. District Judge William Sessions ordered her release on May 9, highlighting significant constitutional violations and the absence of evidence supporting claims she engaged in activities linked to Hamas.
  • Ozturk endured over six weeks in a Louisiana ICE detention facility, where she suffered worsening asthma attacks due to poor conditions and inadequate medical care.
  • The case is part of a broader Trump administration effort to revoke visas of international students engaging in pro-Palestinian activism, raising concerns over free speech and academic freedom.
  • While Ozturk has been released on bail, her deportation proceedings will continue in immigration court, with her legal team vowing to challenge the constitutionality of her detention.