A Turkish Tufts University student, Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained by immigration authorities in Louisiana following an op-ed she co-wrote in the student newspaper, has been ordered by a federal judge to be brought to Vermont for a hearing by May 1. U.S. District Judge William Sessions will hear Ozturk’s request for release from detention, with her lawyers arguing that her detention was in retaliation for her speech. Ozturk, a doctoral student, was taken into custody in March and transferred to Louisiana after being denied bond.
Ozturk is among several individuals with ties to American universities who have faced immigration issues due to their public support for Palestinians. Her lawyers are challenging ICE’s detention authority, requesting her immediate release or return to Vermont. The Department of Justice argues the immigration court has jurisdiction over her case. Ozturk’s detention has raised concerns about constitutional rights violations, including free speech and due process.
Ozturk wrote an op-ed critical of Tufts University’s response to student activism regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which is cited as a potential reason for her detention. The Department of Homeland Security has accused her of supporting Hamas without providing evidence. Ozturk’s case has garnered attention and criticism from civil rights groups and advocates for free speech. The upcoming hearing in Vermont will determine the next steps in her immigration case.
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