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Boston Globe
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Rümeysa Öztürk lands at Logan after release from immigration detention in Louisiana
'Her continued detention cannot stand,' US District Judge William K. Sessions III said from the bench in Burlington, Vt., on Friday. 'Her continued detention potentially chills the speech of the millions and millions of individuals in this country who are not citizens.' Öztürk, a 30-year-old doctoral candidate, was detained in Somerville on March 25. The basis for her deportation cited by the government was Ozturk was one of four students who wrote an op-ed in the campus newspaper, The Tufts Daily, last year criticizing the university's response to student activists demanding that Tufts 'acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,' disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel. Advertisement A State Department memo said Ozturk's visa was revoked following an assessment that her actions ''may undermine US foreign policy by creating a hostile environment for Jewish students and indicating support for a designated terrorist organization' including co-authoring an op-ed that found common cause with an organization that was later temporarily banned from campus.' Advertisement News of her detention in Somerville, She was first taken to a facility in Vermont, but within 24 hours was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana. Öztürk's plight has become emblematic of the pushback against the Trump administration's deportation methods, which critics contend are sweeping up immigrants and international students on illegal or spurious grounds, without providing just cause or their right to due process. Days earlier, the Trump administration canceled her student visa without notifying her. Sessions' ruling on Friday is the latest instance of In April, Öztürk's case comes amid what the Trump administration has called a crackdown on antisemitism on college campuses. The administration has canceled hundreds of student visas and moved to cut federal funding from colleges that President Trump paints as bastions of left-wing propaganda. Opponents argue the government is targeting people for their political beliefs. Öztürk has been enrolled in a program at Tufts studying child and human development, with a focus on how children use media. Before his ruling, Sessions noted Öztürk had no criminal record or ties to violence. 'This is a woman who is just totally committed to her academic career,' he said. Advertisement In ordering her release, Sessions said Öztürk was no danger to the community and that her continued detention was steadily worsening her asthma. Even before her release, Ozturk's supporters cheered the decision, punctuating an earlier news conference held by her attorneys with chants of 'She is free!' 'What we heard from the court today is what we have been saying for weeks, and what courts have continued to repeat up and down through the litigation of this case thus far,' Jessie Rossman, legal director at the ACLU of Massachusetts, told reporters. 'There's absolutely no evidence that justifies detaining Ozturk for a single day, let alone the six and a half weeks that she has been detained, because she wrote a single op-ed in her student newspaper exercising her First Amendment right to express an opinion.' Michael Drescher, the federal prosecutor, said his argument against releasing Öztürk was technical: that Sessions does not have jurisdiction to hear an immigration case. Sessions, supported by a recent appeals court decision, disagreed. Though immigration matters are typically held in immigration court, Öztürk petitioned a federal district court to be released on the grounds her constitutional rights were violated. The courts eventually ruled her petition for release should be heard in Vermont, because that's where she was briefly being held when her lawyers first filed for her release. Material from previous Globe coverage was used in this report. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
Al-Ahram Weekly
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
US judge orders release of Turkish student Rumeysa Ozturk detained for pro-Palestine activism - War on Gaza
A US judge on Friday ordered the release of Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained by federal agents as part of Donald Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism. Judge William Sessions said Ozturk, a Ph.D student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, should be released "immediately" from custody while her removal proceedings continue. The State Department revoked Ozturk's student visa after she co-authored an article in the university newspaper, The Tufts Daily, criticizing the college's handling of student anger over Israel's genocidal war on Gaza. Video of the 30-year-old Ozturk's March 25 arrest by masked agents on a sidewalk sparked outrage online, and added to concerns about freedom of speech and respect for due process under Trump. Sessions echoed the concerns during Friday's live-streamed custody hearing, at which Ozturk appeared remotely from a detention center in Louisiana. "Continued detention potentially chills the speech of the millions and millions of individuals in this country who are not citizens," the judge said. "Any one of them may now avoid exercising their First Amendment rights for fear of being whisked away to a detention center from their home," he said. "Her continued detention cannot stand," Sessions said. "The court orders the government to release Miss Ozturk from custody immediately." The judge said he was not putting any travel restrictions on Ozturk and she was free to return to her home in Massachusetts. Ozturk is one of a number of foreign students facing deportation over their pro-Palestinian campus activities, and she still faces removal proceedings. The decision to release her from custody was welcomed by Turkey but condemned by the White House. Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc, in a post on X, called it a "positive development" and said it was "unacceptable for someone to be prosecuted because of their faith or their support for Palestine." Stephen Miller, a senior White House official, lashed out at the decision, saying "there's a judicial coup in this country." "Foreigners in this country do not have a right to stay in this country if they support designated terrorist organizations like Hamas," Miller told reporters, distorting another call for a ceasefire in the war-battered territory. "The secretary of state has the absolute authority... to revoke an immigration benefit or a visa and then to pursue a deportation," he added. 'Won't stop fighting' Tufts University has publicly backed Ozturk, demanding her release so she can return to the school and complete her doctoral studies in child development. Jessie Rossman, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which is among the groups representing Ozturk, welcomed her release. "For 45 days, Rumeysa has been detained in Louisiana," Rossman said. "During that time, she has suffered regular and escalating asthma attacks. "And at the same time, the government has failed to produce any justification for her detention," Rossman said, adding that the ACLU "won't stop fighting until she is free for good." Trump has targeted prestigious universities that became the epicenter of the US student protest movement sparked by Israel's war on Gaza, stripping federal funds and directing immigration officers to deport foreign student demonstrators. Many fear that the campaign amounts to retribution and will have a chilling effect on free speech. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
RTÉ News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
US judge orders release of Turkish student detained in immigration case
A US judge has ordered the release of a Turkish student detained by federal agents as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism. Judge William Sessions said Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, should be released "immediately" from custody while her removal proceedings continue. Ms Ozturk's student visa was revoked by the State Department after she co-authored an article in the university newspaper, The Tufts Daily, criticising the college's handling of student anger around Israel's war in Gaza. Video of her 25 March arrest by masked agents on a sidewalk sparked outrage online, and added to concerns about freedom of speech and respect for due process under Mr Trump. Judge Sessions echoed the concerns during today's live-streamed custody hearing, at which Ms Ozturk appeared remotely from a detention centre in Louisiana. "Continued detention potentially chills the speech of the millions and millions of individuals in this country who are not citizens," the judge said. "Any one of them may now avoid exercising their First Amendment rights for fear of being whisked away to a detention center from their home," he said. "The court finds that her continued detention cannot stand," Judge Sessions said. "The court orders the government to release Ms Ozturk from custody immediately." The judge said he was not putting any travel restrictions on Ms Ozturk and she was free to return to her home in Massachusetts. Ms Ozturk is one of a number of foreign students facing deportation over their pro-Palestinian campus activities, and she still faces removal proceedings. Tufts University has publicly backed Ms Ozturk, demanding her release so she can return to the school and complete her doctoral studies in child development. Jessie Rossman, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which was among the groups representing Ms Ozturk, welcomed her release. "For 45 days, Rumeysa has been detained in Louisiana," Ms Rossman said. "During that time, she has suffered regular and escalating asthma attacks. "And at the same time, the government has failed to produce any justification for her detention," Ms Rossman said, adding that the ACLU "won't stop fighting until she is free for good". Mr Trump has targeted prestigious universities that became the epicentre of the US student protest movement sparked by Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, stripping federal funds and directing immigration officers to deport foreign student demonstrators. Critics argue that the campaign amounts to retribution and will have a chilling effect on free speech, while its supporters insist it is necessary to restore order to campuses and protect Jewish students.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
US judge orders release of Turkish student detained in immigration case
A US judge on Friday ordered the release of a Turkish student detained by federal agents as part of President Donald Trump's crackdown on pro-Palestinian campus activism. Judge William Sessions said Rumeysa Ozturk, a Ph.D student at Tufts University in Massachusetts, should be released "immediately" from custody while her removal proceedings continue. Ozturk's student visa was revoked by the State Department after she co-authored an article in the university newspaper The Tufts Daily criticizing the college's handling of student anger around Israel's war in Gaza. Video of her March 25 arrest by masked agents on a sidewalk sparked outrage online, and added to concerns about freedom of speech and respect for due process under Trump. Sessions echoed the concerns during Friday's live-streamed custody hearing, at which Ozturk appeared remotely from a detention center in Louisiana. "Continued detention potentially chills the speech of the millions and millions of individuals in this country who are not citizens," the judge said. "Any one of them may now avoid exercising their First Amendment rights for fear of being whisked away to a detention center from their home," he said. "The court finds that her continued detention cannot stand," Sessions said. "The court orders the government to release Miss Ozturk from custody immediately." The judge said he was not putting any travel restrictions on Ozturk and she was free to return to her home in Massachusetts. Ozturk is one of a number of foreign students facing deportation over their pro-Palestinian campus activities, and she still faces removal proceedings. Tufts University has publicly backed Ozturk, demanding her release so she can return to the school and complete her doctoral studies in child development. Jessie Rossman, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which was among the groups representing Ozturk, welcomed her release. "For 45 days, Rumeysa has been detained in Louisiana," Rossman said. "During that time, she has suffered regular and escalating asthma attacks. "And at the same time, the government has failed to produce any justification for her detention," Rossman said, adding that the ACLU "won't stop fighting until she is free for good." Trump has targeted prestigious universities that became the epicenter of the US student protest movement sparked by Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza, stripping federal funds and directing immigration officers to deport foreign student demonstrators. Critics argue that the campaign amounts to retribution and will have a chilling effect on free speech, while its supporters insist it is necessary to restore order to campuses and protect Jewish students. sst/cl/sst
Hamilton Spectator
05-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Detained Tufts student seeking transfer says asthma attacks worsened in custody
A Turkish Tufts University student says her asthma attacks continue to worsen since she was taken into custody, arguing ahead of her latest court hearing that her health has suffered while being held in crowded conditions. Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, was detained by immigration officials as she walked along a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville on March 25. She is currently being held in a detention center in Basile, Louisiana. A federal three-judge panel will hear arguments Tuesday over whether to grant a federal judge's order to transfer Ozturk to Vermont. 'Since my arrest, in the span of five weeks, I have had at least eight asthma attacks where I have felt unable to control my coughing,' Ozturk wrote in court documents released Monday. 'Prior to my arrest, in the span of 2-3 years, I had approximately 9 such asthma attacks in which I felt unable to control my coughing.' A district court judge in Vermont had earlier ordered that the 30-year-old doctoral student be brought to the state for hearings to determine whether she was illegally detained. Ozturk's lawyers say her detention violates her constitutional rights, including free speech and due process. The U.S. Justice Department, which is appealing that ruling, said that an immigration court in Louisiana has jurisdiction over her case. In court filings, Ozturk says she's had trouble receiving proper medical care while at the Louisiana detention center, noting that her asthma attacks can last up to 45 minutes and that she's rarely given opportunities for fresh air. 'I do not have control over the exposure to potential triggers,' Ozturk added. 'The dorm rooms in detention are very crowded, and the other women have reported seeing mice in the dorm rooms. Additionally, the air conditioning is running most of the day, and I do not have immediate access to fresh air.' Immigration officials surrounded Ozturk as she walked along a street in a Boston suburb on March 25 and drove her to New Hampshire and Vermont before putting her on a plane to a detention center in Louisiana. Ozturk was one of four students who wrote an op-ed in the campus newspaper, The Tufts Daily, last year criticizing the university's response to student activists demanding that Tufts 'acknowledge the Palestinian genocide,' disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in March, without providing evidence, that investigations found that Ozturk engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group.
