Overview

• Judge William Sessions reaffirmed his order requiring ICE to return Rümeysa Öztürk to Vermont by May 1, rejecting the DOJ's motion for a stay.
• Öztürk, a Turkish PhD candidate at Tufts University, was detained in March after her visa was revoked, allegedly in retaliation for a campus op-ed criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza.
• The Trump administration's appeal to keep Öztürk in a Louisiana detention facility is pending as legal battles over jurisdiction and constitutional claims continue.
• Öztürk's lawyers argue her detention violates her First Amendment and due process rights, with calls for the release of documents that may undermine the government's case.
• Massachusetts lawmakers, including Rep. Ayanna Pressley, visited Öztürk in Louisiana and criticized ICE detention conditions as 'concerning' and 'damning.'