Overview
- Chief U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper said she was “struggling” to understand the government’s rationale and will decide soon on a request to restore Rümeysa Öztürk’s SEVIS record.
- Öztürk’s attorneys asked for a preliminary injunction so she can resume campus work tied to her PhD, saying the termination has blocked teaching and research opportunities.
- The government argued the court lacks jurisdiction to reinstate the record, asserting ICE ended it because her visa was revoked and she was deemed removable.
- Öztürk, a Turkish citizen, was arrested on March 25 after co-authoring a pro-Palestinian op-ed, had her SEVIS record terminated the same day, and spent 45 days in detention before a Vermont judge ordered her release.
- Court filings note DHS internal documents reported finding no evidence that she engaged in antisemitism or had ties to terrorism.