Federal Judge William K. Sessions III has ordered that Tufts University student, Rumeysa Öztürk, who is fighting deportation after writing an essay about Israel and the war in Gaza, be transferred back to Vermont. The judge stayed his order for four days to allow the government to appeal. Öztürk, a 30-year-old Turkish national in the U.S on a visa, was arrested in Massachusetts on March 25 and is being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana.
The judge refused to dismiss Öztürk’s habeas petition, citing significant constitutional concerns with her arrest and detention. The Department of Homeland Security accuses her of supporting Hamas based on an opinion essay she co-wrote in 2024 for the student newspaper. The essay called on Tufts to acknowledge the Palestinian genocide and criticized the university’s response to divest from companies tied to Israel.
Öztürk’s attorneys welcomed the ruling, stating that immigration laws should not be manipulated to separate individuals from their homes. The federal government was accused of trying to manipulate the outcome of her case by changing where it was heard. Tufts University has defended Öztürk, stating that her essay did not violate its policies and was in line with its stance on free speech.
The Trump administration is reportedly attempting to deport international students who protested against Israel’s actions in the war against Hamas in Gaza. Tufts University has petitioned for Öztürk’s release, stating that there is no evidence of her violating immigration laws. The Department of Justice declined to comment on the ruling.
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