Overview

• Federal Judge William Sessions approved a remote bail hearing for Rümeysa Öztürk, scheduled for Friday, to expedite her case without waiting for her physical transfer to Vermont.
• The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that Öztürk's habeas case should be heard in Vermont, giving ICE until May 14 to transfer her from Louisiana.
• Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, has been detained since March 25 after her visa was revoked following her co-authorship of a pro-Palestinian op-ed.
• Her attorneys argue that her detention is unlawful and cite her worsening asthma attacks in custody as a pressing health concern necessitating her release on bail.
• The case has drawn national attention, highlighting debates over free speech, academic freedom, and executive power in immigration enforcement.