Federal Judge Orders Release of Turkish Graduate Student Detained Over Op-Ed
BURLINGTON, VT – Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish graduate student from Tufts University, has been ordered released from federal immigration custody by U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions III. Öztürk had been detained for six weeks, allegedly due to her involvement in an op-ed criticizing the U.S. response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The ruling followed a three-hour hearing on April 14, during which Öztürk appeared remotely. She had been arrested in late March by armed federal agents in Massachusetts and held overnight in St. Albans before being transferred to an ICE facility in Louisiana. Her legal team’s argument centered on the violation of her First Amendment rights, as they claimed her detention was politically motivated.
Sessions noted the lack of evidence presented by the government to justify the arrest beyond the op-ed. He emphasized that Öztürk’s detention not only infringed on her rights but also sent a chilling message to other non-citizens in the U.S. Furthermore, the judge expressed concerns for Öztürk’s health; she had suffered multiple asthma attacks during her detention, deteriorating from only nine attacks in the prior two years.
Öztürk’s attorneys initially filed her challenge in Massachusetts, but the case was later transferred to Vermont. Judge Sessions mandated that she return to her community, and conditions of her release include supervision by Burlington’s Community Justice Center.
The U.S. Attorney’s office hinted at potential appeals, but for now, Öztürk is set to return to Tufts in hopes of completing her doctoral program by year-end. This case echoes a growing trend of international attention and protests against perceived injustices within the U.S. immigration enforcement system.
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