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Judge Weighs Jurisdiction in Case of Detained Tufts Student Rumeysa Ozturk

Federal court in Vermont deliberates on jurisdiction and legality of Ozturk’s detention as evidence undermines government claims.

Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University in Somerville, Massachusetts, poses in an undated photograph provided by her family and obtained by Reuters on March 29, 2025. Courtesy of the Ozturk family/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
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Protesters with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Coalition for Human Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles and community members march to denounce the Trump administration's recent attacks on free speech and immigrant rights including the arrest of Rümeysa Öztürk at Placita Olverain downtown Los Angeles on April 1, 2025.

Overview

  • Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by ICE after her visa was revoked following her co-authorship of a pro-Palestinian op-ed.
  • A State Department memo revealed no evidence linking Ozturk to antisemitism or terrorism, contradicting the Trump administration's justification for her detention.
  • Ozturk remains in an ICE detention facility in Louisiana, where she reports unsafe, unsanitary conditions and inadequate medical care for her asthma.
  • The Vermont federal court is considering jurisdiction over her case, with a judge raising concerns about potential constitutional violations in her detention.
  • Ozturk's lawyers argue her detention violates free speech and due process rights, emphasizing the lack of evidence and the chilling effect on political expression.