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Tufts Doctoral Student's Detention Sparks Legal Battle Over Free Speech and Retaliation Claims

Rumeysa Ozturk, detained by ICE and accused of no crime, remains in Louisiana as a federal judge weighs jurisdictional disputes and her attorneys allege retaliation for pro-Palestinian advocacy.

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
Protesters march outside a federal court, Thursday, April 3, 2025, where a hearing took place for a Tufts University doctoral student detained by immigration authorities on March 25, in Boston. (AP Photos/Michael Casey)
Demonstrators take part in the Stand with Rumeysa Ozturk,Tufts PHD Student emergency rally, at Powder House Square Park, after Ozturk was taken into custody by federal agents, in Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S. March 26, 2025. REUTERS/Faith Ninivaggi/File Photo
Demonstrators attend a city council meeting after Tufts PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk was taken into custody by federal agents, in Somerville, Massachusetts, U.S. March 27, 2025. REUTERS/Reba Saldanha/File Photo

Overview

  • Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was arrested on March 25, 2025, by plain-clothes ICE agents in Massachusetts, allegedly due to her pro-Palestinian advocacy and criticism of Israel.
  • Ozturk was transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana shortly after her arrest, despite a court order requiring 48 hours' notice before moving her out of Massachusetts.
  • Her attorneys claim the transfer was a deliberate attempt to manipulate jurisdiction and avoid Massachusetts courts, while the government cites a lack of facilities for female detainees in Massachusetts.
  • A federal judge in Boston is deliberating whether the legal challenge to her detention can remain in Massachusetts, with Ozturk's deportation temporarily blocked.
  • Ozturk, supported by Tufts University and civil rights groups, has vowed to continue her peaceful advocacy, emphasizing her commitment to addressing systemic inequality and defending free speech rights.