Federal Appeal Pauses Ruling in Tufts University Student Detention Case
BOSTON – A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a judge’s order to return Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish doctoral student at Tufts University, from an immigration detention center in Louisiana to Massachusetts for hearings on her detention. The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York announced it will hear arguments on May 6 regarding the government’s emergency motion to contest a prior ruling made by a Vermont district judge.
Ozturk, 30, has been detained for five weeks, sparking protests from her supporters outside federal court. Her legal team argues that her detention infringes upon her constitutional rights, including free speech and due process. The district court had mandated her return by Thursday to assess the legality of her detention.
The Justice Department contends that an immigration court in Louisiana has jurisdiction over her case, highlighting limitations imposed by Congress on federal court involvement in immigration matters. They argue that the Vermont judge’s order undermines these jurisdictional boundaries, potentially causing irreparable harm.
Ozturk’s lawyers have criticized the delay caused by the emergency motion, warning that it could extend her detention for an indefinite period. Immigration officials detained Ozturk on March 25 after she participated in a peaceful protest criticizing the university’s stance on Palestinian issues.
Concerns have been raised regarding the allegations made by the Department of Homeland Security, which claimed, without disclosing evidence, that Ozturk had engaged in activities supporting Hamas—a designation by the U.S. as a terrorist organization.
As the legal battle continues, the situation remains fluid, drawing attention from advocates pushing for Ozturk’s release and the safeguarding of academic freedom.
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