Overview

• Rümeysa Öztürk, a Tufts University doctoral student, was detained by ICE on March 25 without prior notice of her student visa revocation.
• Her detention in a South Louisiana ICE facility has been marked by overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, exacerbating her asthma and leading to multiple untreated medical emergencies.
• Öztürk alleges that her hijab was forcibly removed during a medical emergency, raising concerns of discriminatory treatment in custody.
• Her attorneys argue that her detention is retaliation for co-authoring a pro-Palestinian op-ed, claiming it violates her First Amendment rights.
• A federal court in Vermont has jurisdiction over her case, with deportation temporarily blocked, and hearings are set to address her release or transfer closer to her legal representation.