Overview

• Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, was detained by ICE on March 25 after her visa was revoked without evidence of wrongdoing.
• The U.S. government argues that her legal challenge must be filed in Louisiana, where she is detained, while her lawyers assert the detention violates constitutional rights including free speech and due process.
• ICE transferred Öztürk across multiple states before placing her in a remote Louisiana detention facility, which her legal team describes as a deliberate effort to limit her access to counsel and community support.
• Tufts University has publicly supported Öztürk, stating there is no evidence she violated university policies and calling for her immediate release to complete her studies.
• Protests and rallies in Massachusetts continue, with civil rights groups and academic communities condemning the government’s actions and raising concerns over academic freedom and transparency.